Im crazy for you, nope im just crazy
by fire-of-fate
Summary: Its those 3 yrs, with a tiwst. Mostly humor, but of course angst and drama as well. The end is finally insight. The androids are almost here. A few more chapters left.
1. Chapter 1 the first meeting

"Hellooo! Servant woman bring me a drying cloth at once! . . . . WOMAN CAN YOU HEAR ME!"

Bulma turned to the steam billowing from the bathroom and replied. 'I hear you, but my name is Bulma, and I am not your servant so say 'Please'"

Vegeta rolled his eyes and thought to himself, _if shes _**not**_ a servant than why is she _**serving**_ me, haughty ass servant. I'll be sure to let whoever is master around here know about this. _"forget about the stupid drying cloth then" _this cloth on the floor will get the job done anyway, I'll be _**dammed**_ if I'm going to beg from a servant._

"serve yourself then, drip dry!" Bulma yelled from the hall. _who the hell does this dick think he is '__**servant**__ woman' _

Vegeta held up the shirt she had laid on the chair for him and shouted "IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE!'' _I expected earthling clothes to look ridiculous judging by these fools, but __**pink, **__realy?_

"is what a joke?" Bulma asked confused.

"these garments that you left, hmp, are they for a man or a woman? They're pink!" Vegeta shouted astonished as he then inspected the strange yellow pants.

Bulma replyed "come on, it's the style here" _plus it's the only think I found lying around that might fit. _

"men in pink, how bizarre" _- Bullshit, I've seen how ridiculous they dress, but __**pink**__, that's not the style anywhere. This servant has the most ridiculous sense of humor, how dare she make me the butt of her jokes. I can hear their laughter, fine I'll wear it, just long enough to watch those worthless fools suffer. . . id rather be nude ugh that's it! _"this is ridiculous, I'm a warrior, not a-a variety of flower!" _where the hell is my armor _Vegeta thought as he stormed from the misty room.

"Well. . you smell good" _and he can even pull it off, I knew pink would look good with his skin tone. _

The trio on the deck laughed at the image of Vegeta as a pretty smelling flower.

"Stop that! Stop it or I'll blast YOU ALL!" Vegeta shouted, _hmph that shut them up, nice to know they still fear me even if I do look like an idiot. _

"loosen up, god your no fun, just relax. If you want to find Goku, just stay here, he'll come. I've known Goku sense he was 5 yrs old, trust me he'll be back" Bulma calmly replied.

_The woman's been living with Kakarott for so long, maybe he's her master then. _

"fine, I require food now then." Vegeta asked with full noble composure, _If she is his servant he certainly hasn't trained her well, she should have had it prepared by now._

"oh. . . yha I guess you would be hungry duh. I'll see what we have, were defiantly going to have to do some grocery shopping sense you're here." Bulma muttered to herself as she headed to the kitchen _ill just throw together a bit of everything, if he's anything like Goku and Gohan hell have the fridge empty by the end of the night anyway. _

Vegeta watched her as she fixed together the meal, placing first cereal and milk in front of him stating it'll hold him over till she's cooked up the rest._ She must be kakkarots servant if she is aware of how much a sayan eats._ She began bustling in the cabinets while he devoured the cereal, and turned to a bowl of what appeared to be fruit.

"YUCK OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Bulma shouted as she turned to her guest only to see him biting into the waxed pear from the decorative fruit bowl.

"eating this god awful fruit, obviously" Vegeta replyed

"um that's not really fruit. . it's fake.. plastic actually, it's just decorative" she stated shyly

"hump plastic is disgusting but food is food" Vegeta shrugged while he bit into the second piece from the bowl.

"it's not food!" Bulma gasped around her laughter unable to see from the tears forming in her eyes, nearly calapsing to the floor she gasped out "STOP EATING IT, ITS NOT FOOD!"

Yamcha sent Krillin a confused look as they lept up to see what the Sayan could possibly be eating, running into the room to see Vegeta giving the half eaten plastic orange a look of confusion. They soon joined Bulma on the floor gasping through their laughter.

"well that's just ridiculous why make something that looks like food but isn't. . . . your planet is so strange" Vegeta rolled his eyes as he watched the three flop around on the floor in laughter, _If anything the foolishness is placed on the stupid servant woman who found fake food, no doubt it was _meant_ to be a joke played on Kakkarot. That fool would have eaten the whole bowl before he even noticed. _

After regaining her composure Bulma continued cooking while Yamcha and Krillin retreated to the gym to train. Vegeta watched her in silence enjoying the sight of her graceful movements, and her rounded bottom as she bent to place things in the oven. _I can see now why Kakkarot keeps her around, entertaining, a good cook, and fair looking, for an earthling. I wonder if he'd mind loaning her to me for a few nights. Course with me shed have to learn that servants are meant to __**serve**__ this uppity attitude may be entertaining, but it will have to stop. _Vegeta was torn from his thoughts by the new dishes being placed on the table in front of him. Without hesitation he began eating. Bulma loaded the dishwasher and set it to run, placing the rest of the dishes in the sink she then turned to the feasting Sayan.

"all set then, ill cya when you're done" Bulma said wiping down the counters not covered by the remaining dishes.

"are you not eating then" Vegeta said between bites

"no Im not very hungry" _at least he has better table manners than Goku, but __**damb**__ I can't even see the chopsticks._

"hpmh, your dismissed then" Vegeta stated grudgingly, he was hoping to talk to the girl and gather some information on his rival, surely the servant would know some useful details.

"how gracious of you" Bulma said as she rolled her eyes and flipped him the bird, headed for the door.

"servant woman, wait. What was that hand gesture you just made?" Vegeta asked.

"first off its Bulma not servant woman. And it's a . . . type of salute here on earth" _not a complete lye. _Bulma said trying desperately to keep a straight face.

"of course, Its about time you show me some respect" Vegeta stated, Bulma fled the room before laughter could overtake her once again.


	2. Chapter 2 why bother

His nostrils were assaulted by a strong, sharp, chemical odor long before he reached the hall way leading to his quarters.

"ooh ooww ooww OWW, ok stop it burns, just stop a second" Bulma shouted pain clear in her voice. Vegeta began walking more briskly to the source of the vulgar smell, to investigate.

"honestly, you think you'd be used to it by now we havta do this like every month" Chichi replyed as she set the bottle of the harsh lye perm on the sink, then beginning to wrap the strand of hair around the curler.

"what in hell are you women doing in there! The smell is terrible!" Vegeta shouted through the door to Bulmas bedroom.

"oh hey 'Geta, come on in, were just setting my hair" Bulma replyed cheerfuly, this was the first time in over a week she had even heard from him and she was determined not to miss out on the chance for a full conversation with her mysterious guest.

"setting wh – UGH" Vegeta opened the door to find the air compeletly toxic. With tears in his eyes the sayian coughed till he gaged. He crouched into a combat stance and took in his surroundings mildly fearing for the women's wellbeing when surrounded by the acrid air. Chichi turned to set the fan on and opened the balcony window before returning to the work at hand. She knew how sensitive Sayians could be to harsh chemical smells and was surprised Vegeta was even remaining in the room.

"what is that awful smell, woman?" Vegeta gasped as the air started to clear slightly.

"that's the perm" Bulma replyed "Chichi's using it to curl my hair"

"you mean to tell me that it doesn't normally have that ridiculous fuzzy look to it, that you purposefully subject yourself to this horrid chemical to make it look foolish?" Vegeta asked.

"it doesn't look foolish, It's fashionable, and yes this chemical is used to make it this way" Bulma replyed as she relished the gust of fresh air flowing in from the open balcony door.

"what she's really saying is she's doing it because Yamcha is coming back from training with the others and she wants to look extra pretty for him" Chichi interjected condescendingly.

"so your subjecting yourself to this impress that ridiculous boy? Why bother he's already your mate?" Vegeta asked.

"even more reason to make myself look good, his jaw will hit the floor when he sees me" Bulma replied smugly.

"I agree with Vegeta on this one, if he really loves you these silly thinks aren't important. You already told me you hate having to manage this hair all the time, let's just straighten it and leave it the way it should be" Chichi said even as she pulled the next strand and prepared to curl it.

"Easy for you to say, Goku's always said your perfect, not all of us have a guy that thinks like that. I have a lot of competition and I have to stay at the top of my game" Bulma replied.

"What do you mean competition? He's your mate, end of story, there is no more competition after that" Vegeta stated, still confused why the woman felt her hair needed to look like a sponge.

"Well yha, but what if he found someone better, I need to be the best and keep him happy so that won't happen. There's always going to be competition, which means I need to give myself the edge" Bulma stated this as an obvious fact.

"if he's already your mate than he won't find someone better because he won't be looking for them. I don't understand, are you telling me you aren't mates?" Vegeta asked, feeling as if he's been missing something important regarding the woman's relationship with the clown.

"Well it's not like were married yet or anything, and even after ill still have to be on the top of my game, there's always cheating or divorce, so I'll still need to work to look good." Bulma replied feeling rather foolish due to his lack of understanding.

"I can't believe that idiot still hasn't asked you, it's been 10 years, and you're a bigger idiot for sitting idly by waiting for half your life. He obviously has no intention of committing." Chichi scolded as she applied more of the lye to the next strand.

"Asked her what?" Vegeta asked, this was the most insight he had gotten on earthling life since his arrival and his inherent thirst for knowledge continued to urge him to understanding.

"Asked her to marry him, of course, honestly it's like trying to explain things to Goku all over again" Chichi replied rolling her eyes as she adjusted the mask on her face. "On earth" she continued "a man and a woman 'date' for a while as boyfriend and girlfriend, like how Yamcha and Bulma have been for ages. This is to get to know each other and be sure that they're a good match. Then the man asks the woman to marry him, if she agrees they are engaged, and they begin to plan their lives together. Then they get married, and spend the rest of their lives together as husband and wife."

"And Bulma and the weakling are still getting to know each other?" Vegeta asked

"Don't call him a weakling!" Bulma replied only to find both Chichi and Vegeta ignoring her though the conversation.

"well no, they obviously know each other very well at this point, which leads me to believe that he's just hoping to find someone better and is leading her along while she waits for him to ask her to marry him" Chichi replied as she set the timer for the perm.

"he's not leading me on, he's probably just waiting for the right moment or something, and that's why I have to look my best. For all we know he could ask me tomorrow at the barbeque, and I want it to be perfect." Bulma replied, contemplating how sweet it would be to be proposed to with all their friends present on the little island.

"it's been 10 years, he's leading you on." Chichi stated with assurance. "Besides, there could be better for you out there too. Wouldn't that serve him right if while he was off making googlie eyes at some other girl some fabulously sexy man swept you off your feet. That'll teach him to treat you the way he does"

"He treats me fine Chi, honestly, we can't all reign over men with the terror of a frying pan" Bulma said rolling her eyes as she pictured Chichi chasing Goku with the dreaded pan.

"Hmph well at least on Vegeta-sie, we do things with a bit more sense. Yes there are whores and such that you fool with but once you find the one meant to be your mate, you make it known. And there's none of this foolish 'self-improvement' needed, if they aren't perfect for you the way you find them then they aren't meant to be yours, move on. And once a Sayain mates truly they have no interest whatsoever in any other, so there's no need to 'one up' the competition. If you were truly his mate, there would be no competition. Obviously you're meant for another." Vegeta replied smugly as he gave Bulma an intense look. Then, realizing what he was doing, he sat down quickly on the tub and looked towards a corner.

"oh, well that explains why Goku has never even thought about another woman Chi. It's just not in him to cheat." Bulma said trying to break the sudden tension in the room. "kinda wish Yam was a bit more like that I guess" she said softly, recalling the hand full of times she's caught him with someone else.

"And you're just making yourself out to be a whore, allowing him to treat you like one. Tell him clearly he will either treat you like a rightful mate, or you'll find someone else who will" Vegeta said while storming out the room, _I can't believe any of this even matters to me, what is it to me if that retch of a woman wants to be treated like a whore?_ Bulma stared after him dumbfounded.


	3. Chapter 3 the hint

Ch 3 The hint

"YAM!" Bulma cryed out as the gang landed on the island.

"B, ugh!" Yamcha screamed in return "good loard you've gotten big hun," causing Bulma to blush as he scooped her up and swung her around before kissing her greadly. I guess I have gained a couple pounds Bulma thought to herself.

"ump" she replyed as he set her down " chi and I have been here all day getting the food ready for you all, how did the training go?"

"great I'm starved. Yha it went already, these tin cans don't stand a chance! You should see me in action B, we all have really raised the bar this time." He said as he trailed off to the table layed out with food to help himself to a beer and a burger.

The gang gathered around the picnic table set up on the sandy beach, and dug. Chichi and Bulma chose the beach chairs of to the side to enjoy their margaritas. As the sun started setting Bulma lit the tiki torches and announced

"we've arranged for a bit of entertainment for tonight, Krillin will you do the honors, we've set up Karaoke!" Krillin leapt up at the opportunity, leaving the other men smiling while they groaned at the thought of what was to come.

Krillin chose to sing 'we are the champions, by Queen' to start them off, in honor of their successful training season.

"still think hes gonna pick today to propose?" Chichi whispered to Bulma as she fixed them both another round of drinks in the blender, purposefully being a little heavy handed on the Tequila.

"of course not, but I do think I'll do something to subtly drop the hint after Krillins done with the mike" Bulma replyed careful to hide her disappointment as she watched Yamcha laughing with Tien. He had barely spoken to her most of the evening. So much for missing me, she thought.

Then she noticed Vegeta sulking under the tree, obviously uncomfortable with the cheerful gathering. "but first I'm gonna make sure Vegetas doing ok, you know how he gets with crowds" she grabed her refreshed Margarrita and a beer and went to sit with him as Yamcha and Tien began to scream into the mike the lyrics to Tubthumping 'I get knocked down'.

"thirsty" she said as she offered the sultry man the beer

"sure, I guess" he said taking it from her and pulling on the cap to the bottle.

"it-it won't come off" He said to her, obviously frustrated with the pop top.

"oh ya I forgot to grab the opener here let me see" she said taking the bottle from him and promptly placing the cap between her teeth to the side of her mouth. A split second later he hear a crack, and the top was all that was left in her teeth. "little talent of mine" she said blushing slightly at her statement.

"hn," he grunted, taking a long swig of the offered beverage. Chichi and Goku then came up and poped down under the tree beside them.

"hey B, hows it been?" Goku asked his friend.

"not the same senice you all left, im glad things went well though" Bulma replyed cheerfully.

"yha, wernt you gonna sing?" Chichi asked with a knowing look in her eyes urging Bulma to follow through on her promise to drop some hints and get Yamchas attention.

"oh, um I guess I could go do that" Bulma said before she drank the rest of the icy beverage in her hand, anything for some courage to sing up there.

Vegetas eyes followed her as she climbed the steps to the porch and selected the song from her Katty Perry section. He found himself entranced by her warbling slightly girlish crooning as she began;

_He put it on me I put it on_

_Like there was nothing wrong_

_It didn't fit it wasn't right_

_Wasn't just the size_

_They say you know, when you know_

_I don't knoooooow_

_I didn't get that fairy tale feelin, no_

_Am I a stupid girl, _

_For even dreaming that I could_

_If its not like the movies_

_That's how it should be, yha_

_When hes the one, ill come undone_

_And my world will stop spinning_

_And that's just the beginning ohh_

_Snow white said when I was young_

_One day my prince will come_

_So I wait for that date_

_They say its hard to meet your match_

_Find your better half _

_So we make perfect shapes_

Bulma looked out off the porch to see if Yamcha was touched by her song. Only to find him crushing a beer can on his head for the entertainment of oolong. Disappointment caused her to falter a beat, but she doubted anyone would notice. No one was paying attention anyway.

_If the stars don't align _

_if it doenst stop time _

_if you don't see the sign _

_wait for it_

_one hundred percent _

_with every penny spent _

_hell be the one that _

_finishes your sentences_

_if its not like the movies_

_that's how it should be _

_when hes the one, hell come undone_

_and my world will stop spinning_

_and that's just the beginning _

_Couse I know your out there_

_And your, your love came for me _

_It's a crazy idea that you were made for me_

_Perfectly for me youll see_

_Just like the movies _

_That's how it will be_

_Cinematic and Dramatic with the perfect ending _

_Its not like the movies_

_But that's how it will be _

_When hes the one, youll come undone_

_And the world will stop spinning_

_And that's just the beginning_

Vegeta was surprised to find himself in the company of the third class sayan and his wife. Even more surprised when Chichi's shrill voice shook him out of his focus on Bulma's singing.

"are you ok?" chichi asked as she saw Vegeta shake the glazed look out of his eyes.

"of course I am don't be stupid, I was just trying to figure out the purpose behind this song" Vegeta replyed, ashamed to be caught off guard by the woman. He also felt oddly warm, and very comfortable, what could be in this strange beverage he thought as he looked at the brown bottle.

"It's a romance song, about what it's like to find your true love. And keeping up hope that the right person will come along, and youll experience that feeling someday" Chichi said watching Vegeta as he watched Bulma. Call it womens intuition but she thought maybe Yamcha might have some competition after all. Maybe if she could just give him a few hints in the right direction. At least Bulma would realize that there are other people out there, and see that Yamcha isn't treating her as well as she should be treated. She rolled her eyes as she saw the boy in question crush a can on his head and laugh riotously. This song is definatly not giving him the hint, and I seriously doubt the bandit has it in him to ever mature enough to be considered a man anyway. She thought to herself. Seeing the disappointment on Bulma's face as she finished the song, Chichi rose to fix a round of daiquiris for them, extra strong.

"so how did you go about choosing one of these human women for your mate anyhow" Vegeta asked Goku glad they were alone for this conversation. Surely the thick headed third class wouldn't see through his question.

"umm, well I guess you could say Chichi chose me." Goku replyed recalling his conversation with trunks, maybe getting these two together is possible after all, he thought. "Don't get me wrong I was interested but, I just, you know, let her know I was interested and she took it from there. I don't know if all human women are like that, though" he said considering how exactly he managed to get Chichi's attention in the first place.

"But how do you show that you are interested?" Vegeta asked. Taking a large gulp, finishing off the rest of the bottle. While at the same time choosing to swallow some of his ever present pride in hopes of gaining the insight.

"oh you just um, flirt with them, let them know that you could be the kind of man they want. Then they come to you and will tell you where to go from there" Goku replied, hoping that Vegeta knew how to flirt in general couse he sure as hell didn't.

"hn, I see, the rituals of these earthlings are so ridiculous." Vegeta stated gathering what little dignity he could find left around himself as he went to the cooler for another beer. "these beverages however, are noteworthy. As a matter of fact the food in general on this planet is worth staying around for, at least until I get a decent fight from the androids. Then I'm on the first ship off of this rock." He stated as he took off back towards capsule corp flight pattern listing slightly to the left.

Vegeta woke the next morning with a severe, almost unquenchable thirst. Throwing on his training clothes he cleaned up and went directly to the kitchen. After drinking three large glasses straight from the tap he considered the night before. Looking over Bulma, her back turned to him as she read the paper sipping her coffee, he considered the song she sang that night. And considered the words Kakarrot told him _let them know you could be the kind of man they want._ He took his time considering all this, as he drank another two glasses of water.

"I could stop this ridiculous mud ball from turning whenever I want to" Vegeta said proudly, seemingly to no one, and for no purpose.

"umm yha, but uhh, why would you want to?" Bulma asked thoroughly confused by his outburst.

"I just thought you'd like to know that I could, if you wanted" Vegeta said looking into her eyes again. He abruptly left the room blushing slightly at his statement, and headed to the gravity room for his pre-breakfast training. Well there, he thought, at least now she knows I'm interested, whatever that means.

That was weird, Bulma thought to herself, returning her eyes to the page in front of her. Not really reading she was thinking back to Yamcha, again. Thinking about how little time he spent with her last night, how instead of coming home with her as she had hoped, he had passed out drunk at Roshi's. with a disappointed sigh, she returned to her article and coffee.


	4. please

"woman, WOMAN WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!" Vegeta shouted thudding through the compound. Sensing her ki from below he headed to the door leading her basement lab. He noticed then for the second time that her ki was faltering slightly, as if she was injured, but paid it no mind.

"WOMAN" he shouted as he ripped the basement door off its hinge "that blasted machine failed again, right in the middle of an important exercise. I insist you see it it at one!" he said as he neared her work station.

"what the hell happened this time, I told you not to sling those ki disks around in there! Its not good for the chip in the simulator!" Bulma replied frazzled, she was already beyond cranky and this just topped it off.

"its not my fault your machine is so sensitive, it needs to be redesigned immediately. You will have until after our mid meal, then I expect it competed!" he said turning to storm out of the room.

"oh hell no!" Bulma said wipping her chair around preparing to rain hell upon him "I have other things to do today! I'll take a peak tonight, it should be functional in the morning. Until then you'll just have to train in the Gym like the rest of us. Yamcha and Krillin have been making good use of it and if it's good enough for them it's good enough for you!"

"it is NOT GOOD ENOUGH! How am I ever to surpass Kakarrot in such feble conditions!" he shouted back at her, glad to see some of the spark return to her eyes, even if it was just rage directed at him. He needed to train, and train hard. Nothing would get in the way of that, not even her.

"it's not about surpassing kaka – ugh GOKU! It's about the damb ANDROIDS! It's a wonder you can win against anything when you don't even know who your OPPONANTS ARE!" She replied relishing a reason to let out her brewing anger.

"I know who I'm fighting woman" he said now quiet and menacing as he stepped closer into her personal space "do you?" his body now close enough that the distance between them seemed unnatural, it would have been more comfortable to touch, but that would have weakened the threat.

"ugh" she grunted turning away from the intense heat from his eyes " I'll get to it when I get to it, if you want it done sooner you'll have to do it yourself." Vegeta turned then, confused by how she backed down from his challenge yet he still hadn't won the argument. He could smell the meal cooking above, and hunger drove him towards the table.

Yamcha and Krillin were already digging in when he took his seat and joined them. Bunny continued to place more dishes of food on the table, joyfully relishing all the new types of food she could try now that there were so many mouths to feed. "Bulma dear, lunch is on!" she shouted down the stairs, looking curiously at the door carefully set against the wall. "bulma?"

"yes mom, I hear you, I'm busy just set it aside" Bulma replied up the stairs, massaging her temples to ease the headache brewing.

"hun, you've already skipped breakfast you need to eat something or you won't be able to get anything done down there anyway" Bunny chided her,

"fine, fine, I'm coming" she growled as she climbed the stairs. Giving a harsh look to the door lopsided off its hinge _oh that Sayians gonna get it if he keeps the attitude up. _She thought to herself.

With little decorum she flopped in her usual seat serving a small portion of chicken and rice onto her plate. "so Yamcha, I was thinking, itd be nice to go out, like a date? We haven't spent some quality time together in ages. And –"

"yha sure hun, ill cya later we gotta get back to work" Yamcha replied absently as he headed back for the gym.

Bulma saw this as her opportunity for escape "yah hold up I'm coming too, just let me get changed" she shouted at the boys as she headed up the stairs to change into her sweats. Hoping no one noticed her nearly untouched plate.

But someone had, Vegeta had been watching her covertly. And he was curious and shocked to see that she had taken two small bites of her already ridiculously small portion. The rest she had just smoothed over the plate to make it look like scraps. _Why would she choose not to eat it?_ He asked himself. For the Sayains starvation was the ultimate form of punishment, he was unable to comprehend why someone would do it willingly. Let alone how.

Rising from his seat, after clearing the table of any food left by the others, he went to join them to train in the 'Gym'.

The room was large, and tall. Approximately 2 story's in height, room enough to fly in he supposed. A large circle had been taped on the surprisingly bouncy floor; it seemed to be an area meant for sparing. Off to right side of the room was an area of what looked to be torture devices. Strings attached to large slabs of metal, beds with heavy bars right above where the neck would be. Primitive devices surely, he would steer clear of that area. Maybe a light spar with one of these weakling could serve as entertainment for the afternoon, Vegeta thought to himself.

He turned to the left to see another set of machines, petals, large fans, more rope, and small seats, were found on the series of devices in this area. But that was not what caught his eye. He was greeted by the sight of the smoothly rounded rear end of the woman, wrapped in bright red spandex, bobbing to the rhythm of a song she selected from the device one the floor.

Having found her workout sound track, Bulma headed towards the Elliptical, nothing burned off the calories like cardio she thought as she eagerly pumped the machine to beat of the music.

Vegeta watched, a smirk of appreication on his lips, as her breasts bounced beneath the red fabric of her sports bra as she rode the machine.

"decided to join us" Yamcha said, tearing Vegetas eyes away from the sight of her. The hatred he already had for the sayain had easily doubled as he watched him eyein up his girl. "how bout we have a 'friendly' spar then?" he asked eagar to plow the bastard into the mat for a few hours.

"hn" was Vegetas reply as he struck his fist unexpectedly into the man's face. For Yamcha that meant an allout brawl, first this dick checks out his woman, then he takes a swing at him outside of the sparing circle! ITS ON! Yamcha thought as he kneed his opponent in the gut.

For Vegeta however, this was a spar like any other. He was unaware humans had such ridiculous rules and held back on his strength accordingly. Still he wanted nothing more than to make the idiot pay for disturbing him while he was looking at the woman. They weren't mated, yet, which made her free game in Vegeta's eyes.

Within seconds Vegeta had the human beneath him, knee resting gently on his neck, when he clearly stated "kill" and let up to reset his stance and resume sparing.

"What the hell do you mean 'kill' Yamcha asked, massaging his back where the sayain had landed a sharp kidney punch earlier.

"Were sparing for combat fool, it's not a catch and release sport. When you get your opponent into a position where you would deliver a death blow you say 'kill' to notify them that you would have killed them had it been real combat" Vegeta said smugly.

"whatever" was Yamchas only reply as he took yet another swing at the Sayain. _Does he think were still sparing, damb I was fighting for real, I can't believe this jackass thought that was just practice!_ Yamcha thought to himself.

This continued for twenty minutes or so, until Vegeta noticed woman's small ki in the corner of the room growing even smaller. It was flickering slightly until, nothing. Yamcha landed his first hit of the day against the Sayian, But only because he had already stopped sparing and was bolting to the woman's side. He managed to arrive just in time to catch her as she fell from the machine.

She recovered from the fainting as he hoisted her up and out the door of the gym. "what the hell happened" she muttered eyes still closed, against the bright light her headache having taken on a whole new level of intensity.

"you have starved yourself into fainting woman, your already low kid roped down to nil. You will eat immediately and then rest the remainder of the day" Vegeta replied quietly knowing full well she must be experiencing a vicious headache at this point.

Bulma was shocked to find the man holding her wasn't Yamcha, but couldn't gather her thoughts any father as she was sat on the chair in the kitchen.

"here eat this" Vegeta grunted as he handed her a slice of bread, then turned to pour milk from the container in the refrigerator. He handed her the glass.

"no, I don't want it" she replied weakly shoving the bread away.

"you will eat this, drink that, and then you will go to rest! I can't believe that you are so stupid to resist keeping yourself alive, you ridiculous woman!" he shouted, no longer concerned for her pain.

She winced even as he grunted "eat it now or I will force it down your throat!" in her ear.

"you will not you BASTARD! If she doesn't want it you will LEAVE HER ALONE!" Yamcha shouted as he entered the kitchen, placing his hand on the back of her head.

"you alright B-?" he asked gently brushing her hair away from her sweating clammy face "I knew you were over doing it, exercising like that," he said softly

"I was just tryin.. . . I thought I'd do a little aerobics, speed up the process a bit" she replied meekly as yamcha placed the cool wash cloth against her neck.

"that's not gonna work, besides the dieting is enough, these things take time hun" he said, even as he smiled at her.

"EAT! NOW WOMAN!" Vegeta shouted, ending their tender moment "and you! You will seize Encouraging this nonsensical behavior, she has starved herself into exhaustion and you are . . . your .. ENCOURAGING IT!" He said as he thrust Yamcha out of the kitchen and against the wall, throwing him hard to the floor, knocking him out cold.

Seeing Vegetas outburst, Bulma quickly devoured the bread and milk. Reluctantly savoring their rich flavor. "there I'm done" she said with a slightly stronger voice "now leave him alone and ill rest, I promise"

Vegeta smiled as he saw her finish the milk, at least she still has some sense left. He then picked her up and carried her to her room, despite her pleas that it was entirely unnecessary.

Once he had placed her in her bed he asked. "why?"

"Why what?" was her only reply as she settled her head on the pillow, shifting her legs to give Vegeta space to sit at the foot of the bed.

"why did you choose to torture yourself with starvation?" he asked gently.

"it wasn't starvation, I'm just dieting, I'm trying to lose a bit of weight." She said "I just over did it with the exercise that's all"

With a sigh Vegeta said "when I was. . . when I was serving in the Planetary Trade Organization" he refused to ever say Frezias name again, "starvation such as your 'dieting' was used as a type of punishment. For years I never understood why I was being punished so much more often than the others. Raditz explained it to me as a child, that as elite it was the expectation that I would be strong. The only way to limit a sayians strength is to limit their food intake. Fr- HE was trying to make me weak; even now I am of a shorter stature than I was meant to be. I can't comprehend why someone would willingly do it. Don't do it again, . . . please" he said, the last so softly she barely heard it. He left the room while Bulma remained shocked; she had never heard the Sayian prince use such a word . . . had he really said please?


	5. a night awry

a/n Vladlover – good point, I was trying to show how he has an uncharacteristic soft spot for her, but I think it's a bit too soft, just wait he 'Vegetas' up soon.

ladylaide – yha Bulmas still very much a 'girl' at this point, but just like super sayains only come about after a bit of heart break, so do women. We all need that moment where were forced to grow up, it won't be for quite a few chapters, but I figured out today when she will do some ascending of her own.

Bulma awoke that evening from her nap to the muffled shouting of Yamcha Krillin, no doubt watching TV or something of the like. It took her a few minutes to recall how she ended up in the bed, and what lead to it, it all still seemed so . . . unreal. She thought back over the day and recalled Yamcha agreeing to the date she had wanted at lunch, eagerly she pushed the blanket aside and jumped in the shower to clean up. After blow drying her hair, and treating the curls with moose for extra definition, she practicaly pranced over to the closet. _Too drab, too slutty, too warm, too pink ugh, ooohh perfect!_ She thought to herself as she chose a low cut red top and tight black pants to complete her look. _Hmm, ill grab a sweater too, it might be cold in the Theater_. She considered, trying to recall if anything good had come out recently, _oh well as long as were together It'll be fun, hell at this point I'd even see an action movie. _She grabbed her red stilettos from the heap on the floor, slipped them on, and was out the door.

Turning out the door she nearly ran over Vegeta who had felt her awaken and came to check on her. "umph" Bulma said "oh hey," she said cheerfully.

"glad to see you feeling better, you better be going to get food before returning to rest" Vegeta said sternly, reminding her oddly of her father at the moment.

"actually, Yamcha and I are going to the movies! And you can shove the attitude 'Mr'!" she said over her shoulder as she continued down the stairs. She could tell he was trying to help, but she's a grown woman and can decide what's best for herself.

"hey YAM!" She shouted as she jumped over the arm of the couch and into his lap preparing to plant a kiss on him.

"DAMBIT B-, WHAT THE HELL" He screamed in reply dumping her off of his lap and onto the floor, dropping the controller along with her.

"oh sorry, I didn't see you guys were playing" she said meekly, recalling how Yamcha hated loosing especially when it came to Halo.

"yo- it's cool man, look, you already re-spawned" Krillin said, trying to tone things down a bit.

"that's not the point, whats gotten into you?" he said looking down at the woman as she picked her self up off the floor.

"I was just excited, about our date and stuff" Bulma said sheepishly.

"uhh, what date" Yamcha replied already sitting back with the controller in hand.

"the one we talked about at lunch, I was thinking we'd see a movie, or something, I'm up for anything you know" she said watching as he focused on the screen.

"yha um, let's do that, just not now ok? I'm in the middle of - - - DIE YOU ASS-DOUCHE!" he said, obviously glued to the game once more.

Pouting she left the living room, unsure of what to do with herself now that her plans had gone up in smoke. As she headed for the stairs of her lab, Vegeta stood blocking her path, holding a turkey and cheese sandwich.

"eat it" he said commandingly.

"fuck you" she replied looking for a way around the prince.

"eat it, and I'll go to this ridiculous movie thing with you." He said, still unsure of what exactly the movies were, but it was better than sitting around here all evening listening to those fools scream at the screen of that device in the living room.

Bulma watched him, considering her options. What the hell, she thought, it had to be better than pouting over Yamcha all night. Besides when he notices she left without him, he'll realize how much he misses her. Snatching the sandwich from his hands she scarfed it down, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge to complete the small meal.

"so what do you want to see" she said between bites.

"umm, I guess a movie" Vegeta replied already berating himself for saying anything to the woman.

"yha but which one," she asked "oh wait, haha, you don't know whats showing"

"of course not, I'm not even sure what a movie is, but I'll be dambed if I'm going to sit around here all night watching them scream at that ridiculous screen and you moping around like a kicked dog" He muttered.

"well you agreed! No backsies, come on!" she said eagerly, she remembered the first time Goku saw a movie. If Vegetas reactions were anything like his Third-class counterpart she was in for an interesting night after all.

As they speed off in her hovercar Bulma began to explain what movies are and what to expect at the theater. Tearing her eyes from the road she was surprised to see him sitting calmly, looking out the window. Most people were at least praying to whatever God they worshiped when in the passenger seat of her car. I guess it takes more than a bit of skilled driving to shake him up, she thought.

They arrived at the theater, and began reading the screen which displayed the titles of the movies and the times they were showing in. As she rattled off the title Bulma gave him a short description of the movie based off of the previews. There wern't any decent Comedy movies out, Bulmas genre of choice, so she let Vegeta choose which movie they would see. The theater was reshowing 'The Exorcist' in preparations for Holloween, how scary can something from the 70's be? Bulma thought.

Durring the opening credits, Bulma informed Vegeta on the concept of possession and exorcisims, as well as a crash course in Christianity, so he would better understand the movie. Vegeta, however, was most intrigued by the concept of religion in general. As he informed her, he had encountered many societies who believed in some form of a higher power, and while usually physically weaker, those societies possessed strength of will he found admirable. He was secretly thrilled when Bulma informed him they had many books on the subject in the library, and he was welcome to use the resources anything he'd like. As they were discussing basic theology with a passion, the lights dimmed and Bulma regained the sense of anticipation and foreboding. She really, really didn't like horror movies.

A horror movie with Vegeta, on the other hand, was a whole another animal. Where others cringed or held their stomachs, Vegeta laughed riotously. When the older priest died, the girl laughed, and Vegeta laughed right along with her. The more gory and horrible the movie got the more Vegeta seemed to be enjoying it, and oddly enough Bulma did to. _It's hard to be terrified with this jerk is laughing his ass off next to me. _Bulma thought, finding that she was laughing as well, when the projectile vomit hit the wall.

She did however have to hide behind her hands when the girl began crawling on the ceiling. When Vegeta asked loudly "whats wrong?"

Bulma replied "shhh, you're supposed to keep it down so people can hear the movie, is it over?"

"is what over?" he responded, still unashamedly at full volume.

"the bit where she's crawling on the ceiling, that always gives me the creaps" Bulma said, refusing to look until she got the 'all clear'.

"oh yha that was a while ago, - HAHAHA, this is great!" he said cheering the demon on, and spilling popcorn over them.

"you're not right in the head" Bulma muttered as chuckled at his bizarre behavior.

After the movie, Bulma took him to an all-you-can-eat buffet, where they continued to discussion of theology, as well as the ridiculousness of the movie in general. _He must have taken all-you-can-eat as a challange_ she noted as she watched him finish his 6th plate of food.

It was late when she parked the car down in front of their home, and they made their way to the door. As the moonlight hit him, Bulma thought _he looks pretty good in this lighting; at least he doesn't go all 'ape shit' anymore. Ugh what am I thinking, this is Vegeta, he's not even human. Seriously Bulma you need to get laid, _shaking her head slightly as she entered behind him. Hearing shouting from the hall towards the entertainment room, she could tell Yamcha was still up, but she just couldn't deal with him at the moment. She watched Vegeta's ass as he climbed the stairs ahead of her, _hey just cause he's not human doesn't mean I don't know a nice butt when I see one._ She thought to herself. After washing her face and changing into a pair of sweats, she decided sleep was not an option due to her nap, and headed down to the GR. Might as well get it sorted tonight, she thought as she laid out her tools.

It was a quick fix, just replacing a few connections that had been fried. The damage was obviously done by ki attacks, _I'll have to tell him to lay off the ki use in here in the morning_. With that thought inspiration struck, and she raced down to the lab to run some tests on the damaged materials.


	6. oh the horror

A/N – funny thing about all these little stories they all have a grain of truth from my life in them, yes I am arachnophobic, yes I do not in any way fear the 'Vegeta' in my life. Go figure.

Ps – the 'plastic fruit' from ch 1. . .. In real life that was my high school sweetheart eating a dog biscuit he thought was an odd tasting cookie, because they were kept in a doggy cookie jar. I wasn't kidding this is all real life people.

"You slept through breakfast, and I'm not letting you skip lunch" Vegeta said calmly, hanging upside down from the ceiling.

"AHHHH" Bulma screamed as she fell out of bed rushing for the door, Vegeta left incapacitated with laughter at her reaction.

"BULMA" Goku called out as he literally flew up the stairs to her room, breaking her door down. He was greeted by the sight of Bluma scared out of her wits on the floor, and Vegeta barely able to stand from laughter.

Quickly Vegeta attempted to regain his composure "what the hell are you doing here Kakarrot?"

"YOU SICK BASTARD" Bulma screamed, ignoring Goku entirely as she attacked Vegeta with pillow in hand, feathers spraying throughout the room. "YOU KNEW THAT WAS THE SCARIEST PART OF THAT DAMB MOVIE AND YOU DID IT ANY WAY"

"Say what B-?" Goku asked spitting feathers out of his mouth as he talked.

Bulma turned from her onslaught to say, with mock composure "Vegeta and I, went to see the Exorcist yesterday and the bit with the girl crawling on the ceiling freaked me out. Then I wake up to his ugly mug!" she pointed vehemently at Vegeta "crawling on the ceiling in my bedroom!"

Vegeta began cackling again at her retelling, unable to maintain his princely composure any longer, as Chichi calmly entered behind her husband. "Why would that scare you?" Chichi asked calmly, after dealing with Goku for so long she was used to how strangely Sayians defined 'humor'.

"It looks kinda like a person/spider thingy I guess" she said softly, ashamed at her ridiculous phobia.

"ohh" replied Goku even as Vegeta asked "what, are you frightened by the tiny insects?"

"umm yha, im arachnaphobic, so?" Bulma said attempting to save face.

"Let me get this straight, you're willing to attack one of the most powerful beings in the universe armed with nothing more than a feather pillow. But some tiny eight-legged wingless insect frightens you?" Vegeta asked attempting to keep his face blank of all expression.

"yha," was Bulmas only reply. Vegetas laughter could be heard echoing throughout the compound as the group descended the stairs.

"ohhh food!" Goku shouted as he headed straight for the kitchen, Bulma was still being dragged to the table by Vegeta. After sitting her down he served her up a Sayian size meal, and sat beside her to eat.

Chichi, taken aback by the fact that any Sayian, espeicaly Vegeta of all people, would serve someone else food before grabbing their own asked, "what's going on, why did you just do that?" to the prince.

"Do what?" Vegeta asked, food tucked neatly in his cheek as continued to eat.

"Theres no way I can eat all this keep dreaming" Bulma said to him scooping a dainty bite of rice into her mouth.

"You will eat it all, you already skipped breakfast, and I will not let you attempt to end your life again" Vegeta replied, ignoring the awkward stares of their guests.

"I wasn't attempting suicide, you're over reacting" she said then seeing the expression on Chichis face she supposed shed have to explain the conversation. " I was on a diet is all, Vegeta doesn't get the concept that women have to work to keep their 'girlish figures'"

"what she's not saying" Vegeta continued between bites "keep eating missy" he then turned to Chichi and Goku "is that she fainted from starvation just yesterday because of this ridiculous 'diet' thing,"

"Vegeta seriously, if I eat any more I swear I'm going to hurl" Bulma said having finished a quarter of the plate full.

"Ok, you do realize humans don't eat nearly as much as Sayians right?" Chichi asked him calmly.

"Of course you fool, she hadn't eaten anything in god knows how long! She had fainted on that damb exercise machine! And that Idiot she hopes to mate with was encouraging the behavior!" Vegeta replied slamming his tankard of water on the table.

"Don't call her that jackass" Bulma said to him, lightly punching him on the arm as she shoved the plate away. Goku grabbed the plate finishing the contents even while Vegeta growled at him.

"Is it true, Bulma, were you doing that anorexia thing again?" Chichi asked ignoring Vegeta insults.

"It's not like that, I just wanted to drop a few pounds is all, it's hard work being perfect" she said with false cheer.

"Did Yamcha suggest this to you?" she asked unable to keep the heat from her voice.

"He was coaching me yes, but I really do need to drop a bit of weight Chi, he was just trying to help" Bulma said defensively.

"THAT'S IT" Chichi screamed rage finally over taking her at the sight of her strong willed friend inexplicitly cowed by the bandit "IM GETTING MY FRYING PAN!"

"Ohh are you cooking more food?" Goku asked, still oblivious to the entire conversation as he ate.

"I'll have what he's having" Vegeta said nodding across the table to Goku "doubled of course"

"IM NOT COOKING YOU DUMBASS'S, IM GONNA FRY THAT BANDITS BACON" she said grabbing the iron skillet from the pile of dirty dishes Bunny left in the sink from cooking lunch. Chichi stormed off into the Gym, on the war path.

"I love Bacon," Goku looked up, blissfully unaware.


	7. never enough

A/N – yes still writing from experience, it makes it more real. Sometimes I look back and feel ashamed of myself. Then I look in the mirror, at what I have now, and realize it was all worth it in the end.

Its too much, not enough

What you need, I don't get

And I don't know why you never say, you never dooo

'too cold' drowning pool

"B-, we need to talk," Yamcha said calmly as he walked into the lab, it was late evening by then, he had been waiting for everyone to head out, or go to sleep, before going down to see her.

"damb straight we do, what is this?" Bulma replied turning from her work and indicating a stack of papers on the desk next to her. When she had first laid eyes on the browser history, she had vomited; shock, fear, and heart ache making her sick. She had found a list of 256 porn sites, visited just this week alone on his computer.

It took Yamcha only a moment to realize what the document was, the next moment he was enraged. "See this is what I'm talking about! There's no privacy between us. You go running your mouth to everyone you meet about absolutely everything. Our relationship should be between us, it's no one else's business!"

"What the hell does that have to do with . . . ''?" Bulma replied now infuriated that he attempted to blame this on her.

"It has to do with the fact that you went nosing on my computer again, what I watch in my own time, is MY business. You don't have any BOUNDRIES" he shouted. "You go running to Chichi and Goku every time something upsets you and then I have to find out your pissed off from the business end of a FRYING PAN!"

"I haven't told anyone about this, I'd be too ashamed to, how could you do this? Some of these are 'hookup sites' are you seeing someone else?" she asked feeling her stomach roll again, it's like her heart stopped beating for the moments he paused.

Yamcha was shocked, speechless in fact. "Why would you even think that? Honestly, you just don't trust me you never have. You seem to trust every other fool you've ever meet, but you can't even give me some time alone without becoming jealous"

"Well its kinda hard to trust you when I see that this is how you spend that time. You ignore me all the time and then I see this what am I supposed to think?" Bulma asked

"You're supposed to trust me," he said softly, coming forward to hug her.

"No, get off of me! Don't touch me!" she shouted wriggling from his grasp, "You haven't wanted to touch me for months, why should it change now? And it's no wonder, when you've been looking at this shit instead!"

"Every man looks at that stuff; at least I don't lie or try to hide it. Were programed that way, I just wanted a bit of variety." Yamcha explained.

"I could never look like that, or do some of whatever it is you're watching" she said softly, "I just can't compete, not with that" tears filling her eyes as she realized the hard truth, he would never be happy with her. She could never be good enough, she could never be 'every' girl. _If variety is what he needs, it's the one thing I can never give him_. She thought.

"Your being irrational again, I'm going over to Roshi's, call me when you've calmed down enough to act like an adult" he said, slamming the door to her lab behind him.

She was left, crying, and alone. She slumped to the floor near her desk, her only thoughts being, _it's really over, I can't be what he wants, I'll never be good enough, I'll never be perfect. _


	8. numb

A/N – sorry for the short chapter before, but it was kinda hard to write. It's even harder for poor Bulma to live, so work with me.

The child is grown

The dream is gone

I have become . . . .. . comfortably numb

Comfortably numb – pink Floyd

One, two, the days went by, three, four. The sun rose, and set. Bulma worked, ate, and slept. But inside she felt dead. They all noticed Yamcha was gone, and for her parents at least, they were almost accustomed to the shouting, and the days of quiet that followed. Oddly these were the times Bulma was most productive, throwing herself into her work like it was the only lifesaver around. It consumed her focus, her time, and kept her . . . numb.

Vegeta on the other hand had only seen this once before, and the memory of it chilled him to the bone. He recalled the shell of a man his father had become after his mother's death, the shell that let others rule for him, others like Freiza. Even at the tender age of 5, Vegeta had wanted to avenge his mother against the rebels. But his father wept, as a man never should, and grew weak. It was mere months later when he was sent away, a ward of Freiza, to Hell. He couldn't stand to watch another waste away in their weakness like this, he need to fight, needed her to fight.

"Woman! You will seize this ridiculous behavior at once!" he said one morning shortly after breakfast.

A softly muttered "fuck you" was her only reply, as she made her way to her lab.

_Well at least she spoke, _he thought, _I hate to admit it but I'd rather be tortured with her idle chatter than this wretched silence. _Realizing he was in over his head when it came to the woman, he decided to enlist some help.

"KAKARROT" He called out landing in front of the small cottage on the mountain. "Get your ass out here! Now!" he commanded, _there may only be one full blooded sayain left, but I am still his_ _prince_. He thought to himself.

"What the heck Vegeta," Goku replied as he came out, ketchup still on his chin; he had begun shoveling his breakfast in his mouth as he felt Vegeta headed his way. "It's a bit early for a spar, don't you at least want a warm up?" he asked, licking the remains of his breakfast from his face.

The prince rolled his eyes at the disgusting sight of Goku eating off of his own face. "The woman is behaving oddly, she needs to be seen to." He said, slightly relieved that it was no longer his problem.

"oh, umm ya I heard her and Yamcha hit a bit of a rough patch, it happens more often than you might think, shell pull through" Goku said ushering Vegeta inside the small house.

"You know I was thinking, a bit of shopping would cheer her up. It usually helps for her to spend some time with friends to get over stuff like this. I hope it sticks this time I hate having to hold her hand through these fights all the time." Chichi said as she dried the plate in her hand.

"oh umm, do you mean like the mall?" Goku said, cringing at the thought.

"of course I mean the mall, and you're going too, you've outgrown your suit." Chichi said with a stern look towards her husband.

"but I never wear it any way" Goku wined in response.

"you'll need one for Gohans school interview, where the heck is that boy?" she asked her husband

"he went off with Piccolo, just before Vegeta showed up" he said

"And he didn't even say GOODBYE!" Chichi shouted.

"What is a mall?" Vegeta asked curiously.

"Hell" Goku muttered even as Chichi said "it's a collection of shops and restaurant's all in the same building, you should come with it'll be a new experience for you. I'm sure you could use a few things too"

Vegeta noticed Goku's face brighten at the concept and quickly replied "I have training to do"

"oh, never mind that" Goku said slyly "I'll spar with you afterwards, it'll more than make up for lost time" _Besides after being trapped in that god-awful place well both need a good fight. _ He thought.

"hmm" Vegeta said "I suppose if it got that woman to stop acting in this ridiculous manner,"

"let's head over there, and I'll talk her into it" Chichi said as she put away the last of the breakfast dishes.

"no," Bulma said, absentmindedly as she scribbled another note, then turned her attention back to the test box.

"But Bulma, I need a new dress for Gohan's school meeting. And you know I can never find something cute for myself, you always have to dress me. Goku's coming to get a new suit too" Chichi said pleadingly

A faint smile traced Bulmas lips at the idea of Goku going to the mall and trying on suits, _it would be mildly entertaining_ she thought.

"and Vegetas coming too, he's never been to a mall" Chichi continued, knowing that would get her friend out of the house.

"I guess for a little while" Bulma replied now picturing Vegeta being accosted by a swarm of perfume girls in Macys. _Ok, definitely will be entertaining_. For the first time in nearly a week, Bulma smiled.


	9. a sharped dressed man

A/N – sorry if Im posting too often or something, its my first story, if you want me to space it out or something let me know.

Bulma almost felt like herself again as she enclosed the car into the capsule in front of the mall. They entered together, and things felt well, normal. The first mistake, of course, was entering in the food court entrance. When the smell of the foot assaulted her nose, they all paused a second, listening to Goku's stomach rumble.

"no!" Chichi said to her husband "we just had breakfast; we'll eat when were done shopping"

"but chi—" he wined, even as he set his eyes on the man holding a platter of free samples in the hall way. The man suddenly became as white as his little paper cap as he saw the heat in Goku's eyes. He made his way to the tray, lifting it and pouring the contents into his mouth. Chichi blushed with anger at the sight of her husband, even while Bulma face palmed trying to hide her giggles, and Vegeta rolled his eyes at the classless fool. They made their way through the mall, falling few steps behind the fool and his wife, watching Chichi beat him with her purse for his actions.

Vegeta's piercing gaze zipped across the hall countless times, trying to take in everyone and everything he perceived to be a possible threat, and failing miserably. He was quickly becoming irritated with it all when he heard the noise which reminded him why he would endure this.

Bulma laughed as she saw Goku, one of the greatest fighters in the universe, cower from his wife's purse. _Chichi is living proof that attitude is everything_ she thought to herself. Roping her arm through Vegeta's she smiled to him as she said "those two are ridiculous, but the entertainment factor is priceless"

Vegeta relaxed at her touch, somehow it soothed him. _If this place held any danger these fools wouldn't be acting so casually,_ he thought,_ and no one other than Kakarrot and myself has a ki level to even make for an entertaining fight. _

Or so he thought, "try our lotion miss!" said an energetic man from a kiosk in the hall, leering at Bulma. As the man approached closer to himself and the woman, Vegeta growled as only a Sayian can. The man tore his eyes from Bulmas chest, blanching at the site of the mans bared teeth.

"that would be a no," Bulma said calmly leading Vegeta away from the Kiosk and laughing once more.

"what gives that worthless chunk of meat the right to come up and speak like that?" Vegeta asked, infuriated by the intrusion.

"he was just trying to sell us lotion, just relax and enjoy yourself, there are no threats here" she replied soothingly as they made their way to the 'Men's Warehouse"

"we don't need any of his dammed lotion" Vegeta muttered, relishing her petting on his arm.

As they entered the shop Bulma sighed, feeling her cheerful mood drop instantly at the sight of the suits. "I just remembered Yamcha was supposed to escort me to the CC Banquet, next month. I guess I'm on my own, again." She said quietly, then a thought struck her. "Would you be interested in going with me, Vegeta?" she asked hopefully.

"I hate political functions," Vegeta replied, recalling the countless times he was forced to court both on vegeta-sie, and along with Frezia's entourage. Seeing her dejected frown reforming he quickly said "but I guess I can't leave you to face something like that alone"

"great!" she said cheerfully, "I guess you'll be needing a suit too," she urged him forward onto the platform to get measured.

As he stepped up on the platform he found himself regretting the decision. he tried to recall how he got coned into this one while someone measured the length of his shoulders and arms. "Primitive culture requiring - - - -UGH!" he shouted as he lept off the platform and growled at the vulgar being that just . . GROAPED HIM!

"haha, its ok Vegeta, he's just trying to measure your inseam," Bulma said trying to regain her composure, "here let me, he's a little homophobic" she said to the tailor.

"Go ahead step back up, I'll measure it instead" she said soothingly, encouraging him onto the small circular stage. His eyes widened as her hand brushed his inner thigh; he blushed slightly as the warm electrifying sensation of arousal snaked through him at her touch.

"34" she said calmly, allowing him to step down. Vegeta looked around careful to avoid her gaze, when he found Goku giving him a knowing smile. _Ugh, I bet that third class fool can smell it. _He said hanging his head in embarrassment. _What the hell am I thinking, she's not even a Sayain, _it's_ ridiculous. _He berated himself as he entered the changing room with the garments the man had handed him.

He was pleased to see the fit exact, and even more pleased to see the heat in Bulma's eyes when he left the changing room. Turning to give her the full view he thought there's_ no harm in a little fun, it's not like I'm going to make her my mate or anything. _

"hey Bulma," Chichi said tearing her eyes away from her own husband with difficulty "we should get some cute dresses while were here, maybe we can talk the gang into going out dancing tomorrow night."

"yha, that would be a lot of fun!" Bulma said, her normal bubbly cheerful attitude restored to full strength. "oh it's been ages since we've gone out!"

"I'll make the calls!" Chichi said eagerly as she started dialing. Having selected the suits for the men they left to find some dresses for themselves. Dragging the two Sayains in their wake.

Chichi had settled on a gorgeous knee length ao dia, made of red brocade. Bulma went a bit more modern with a form fitting royal blue one shoulder dress, hugging her curves and flaring at the hips to fall to her mid thighs. She also picked up a new lipstick called 'kickass red' before heading out home. As the little car landed in front of the compound she asked. "you are coming out with us tomorrow night, right?"

"hn" Vegeta nodded, finding himself unable to tell her no.


	10. just dance

A/N – You _**MUST**_ find a way to listen to the song ET by Katy Perry before reading this chapter, even better play it while reading the part it is featured in. It's too perfect to miss.

Vegeta didn't know what to expect when he agreed to 'going out' but nothing could have prepared him for this. Grateful for the ear plugs Kakarrot had provided for him in the parking lot, he found he could still hear quite well despite them. The music thudded through his bones, harmless lasers zapped around the floor, and small specks of light littered the open area. They arrived early, and headed to the back area where there were tables, to wait for the rest of their group. Though they were early, the building was already full of half-dressed people. _And to think I scoffed at what that foolish woman dressed me in. _looking down at his black slacks and tight fitting black muscle shirt.

Goku and Bulma went to the bar to order their drinks, when they heard Krillin's greeting over the thudding music. Turning she saw he had also brought . . . .Yamcha. "and two shots of patron, as well please." She said to the bartender, downing the first as he poured the second.

She went over to hand Chichi her daiquiri as the other woman said "he is our friend too, besides just ignore him were here to have a good time tonight. And it'll only piss him off more if he sees you having fun."

"hmm," Bulma replied gulping the rest of her long island ice tea "I'm ready to dance!" she shouted over the music, grabbing poor Krillin as she raced to the dance floor.

"shes still a little upset" Goku said to Yamcha as he sipped his beer.

"it's freaking childish, she needs to get the hell over it" Yamcha said sulking in the table, his eyes already wondering around the crowd of women.

"why the hell did you bring HIM?" Bulma asked Krillin shouting over the music as they moved.

"Umm, I didn't know it would be a problem" Krillin replied, still trying to figure out why things were so awkward between his friends.

"he didn't tell you, we broke up like a week ago!" She said "I don't even want to think about it . . . .. THIS IS MY THEME SONG!" she shouted, feeling the patron take effect as she bounced to lady gagas 'just dance'. A few shots later and she could care less about him, she was having fun.

"you should go dance with her" Goku said as he slid into the booth next to Vegeta. He had noticed the other sayian watching his friend for the better part of the night.

"why would I want to do that?" Vegeta asked, with pretend disinterest.

"I might be pretty thick sometimes but I have my moments, I can see you're interested in her" Goku said bluntly, thinking of Trunks as he spoke.

"doesn't matter" Vegeta grunted.

"dancing's a great way to make your interests known, just give it a shot, if she shoots you down well . . .it's just a dance" Goku said shifting to the other side of the table to allow the prince to exit.

"fine whatever" Vegeta said as he walked across the hall, eyes locked on his target.

The music changed, something slower, more sensual as he reached her. Katy Perry's ET began playing as he grasped her hand, requesting the dance. She responded by pulling him closer swaying her hips to the rhythm of the song. He simply watched at first, trying to understand the dance, planning his move.

You're so hypnotizing,

Could you be the devil, could you be an angel?

Your touch magnetizing

Feels like I am floating leaves my body glowing

He began by running his hands over her hips, feeling her movements. Then grasping firmly and changing them, a rotating thrust to match his own. She had had dance lessons before, she knew a strong lead when she felt one, but with him it was . . . dominating.

They say be afraid

You're not like the others, futuristic lover

Different DNA

They don't understand you

She turned her back from him, matching his thrusts with a motion of her own, raising her hands above her to play with his hair. He ducked his head to sniff her neck, getting a heady whiff of her scent mixed with lust, it was intoxicating.

You're from a whole other world

A different dimension

You open my eyes

I'm ready to go lead me into the light

He took her hand from his hair and spun her to face him, locking their eyes in an intense gaze as he leaned over her, using both of their full bodies in the dance, allowing instinct to take over. She gasped as she saw the heat in his eyes, pure lust. It was as if there was nothing else, just their bodies moving, and the music thudding through them.

Kiss me, k-k-kiss me

Infect me with your love

And fill me with your poison

Take me, t-t-take me

Wanna be your victim

Ready for abduction

Lost in his eyes, in their movements, she let him take over completely. She never knew being dominated like this could be so, liberating. He moved her into a dip arching her back over and flicking them up. He hardened at the scent of her hair as it hit his face.

Boy you're an alien

Your touch so foreign

It's supernatural

Extraterrestrial

You're so super sonic

Wanna feel you're powers, stab me with your lasers

Your kiss, is cosmic

Every move is magic

He hungered for her scent, growling with desire he grasped her hair and pulled her head sharply to the side. Even as they continued thrusting to the music, he ran his nose along her neck from shoulder to earlobe, immersing himself in the mouthwatering smell of her arousal.

You're from a whole other world

A different dimension

You open my eyes

And I'm ready to go, lead me into the light

Kiss me, k-k-kiss me

Infect me with your love

And fill me with your poison

Bulma was lost, moistening at the sensation of him moving her with his body, his growl vibrating through her. Throwing her shoulders into the dance, mirroring her hips, she let loose the primal urge to grasp his buttocks and press him against her. Finally closing the tempting space between them.

Take me, t-t-take me

Wanna be your victim

Ready for abduction

Boy you're an alien

Your touch so foreign

It's supernatural

Extraterrestrial

This is transcendental

On another level

Boy you're my lucky star

Finally, Vegeta's will broke, stooping their movements he pressed her head to him in an aggressive yet, somehow, tender kiss. Bulma, shocked by the warmth of the contact paused for a moment, before deeping the kiss. Panting she licked and nipped at his lips, he then crushed her to him, devouring her.

Wanna walk on your wavelength

And be there when you vibrate

For you I'd risk it all

Forgetting the music, and the dancing completely Vegeta rushed forward lifting Bulma against the wall. Thrusting against her as she moaned, he nipped at her bare neck. Bulma panted as she grasped his hair thrusting her body beneath him.

Kiss me, k-k-kiss me

Infect me with your love

And fill me with your poison

"holy shit!" Goku said in shock as he saw the two about to make love on the dance floor, his comment tearing Yamcha's eyes from the chest of a scantily dressed blonde.

Take me, t-t-take me

Wanna be your victim

Ready for abduction

Boy you're an alien

Your touch so foreign

It's supernatural

Extraterrestrial

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Yamcha shouted as the music died down. Crossing the room in large strides, the frightened onlookers leapt out of his way. Grasping Vegeta by the back of the head and punching the Sayain across the face.

(I should totally leave you all hanging right here and stop writing for a week huh? . . . nope not that mean)

Lucky for Yamcha, Goku wasn't far behind, he tore his friend from the enraged prince.

"you all need to take this outside" said a large man wearing a black t-shirt with 'security' written on the front.

"good idea," Yamcha said grabbing Bulma "were out of here" he shouted behind him as he drug her to the door.

Vegeta may have recovered from the strike quickly but the heady mix of lust and embarrassment were a stronger drug. As he watched Bulma being carted out the door he came around quickly and made off after them. Only to be delayed by Kakarrot, damb him.

"listen Vegeta, just take a second" Goku said side stepping the enraged Sayain, "you can't run out there and kill him, calm down"

"Yamcha what what the hell!" Bulma screamed as he pulled her out of the Club.

"what the fuck was that, some stupid ploy to make me jealous well it fucking worked." He said turning on her, red with rage.

"no, I, I don't know what happened, we were dancing and - -" Bulma said trying to make sense of evening through her drunken state even as she leaned towards Yamcha for balance.

"get the fuck OFF ME!" he shouted as he tossed her against the wall, her head hit the brick knocking her out cold.

Vegeta finally managed to side step Goku and round the corner only to see Bulma hit the wall and collapse into a crumpled heap. He saw red as his eyes found his target, with a war cry to make any Sayian proud he pounced forward to grab . . . . nothing.

Goku had managed to get ahold of Yamcha first, using instant transmission to evacuate the human.

Vegeta whipped around with rage, still trying to find his target, all rational thought had left him long ago until he heard.

"Bulma, Bulma hunny wake up" Chichi said softly as she gently patted her friend face.

Vegeta grew pale as he detected no ki coming from the blue haired woman, even paler in fact when he found he couldn't hear her pulse. A wave of nausea over took him as he dropped down beside her, suddenly realizing he had forgotten about the ear plugs. Ripping them from his ears he sighed in relief, there he heard it, nice and steady, she's just unconscious.

They watched as her eyelids fluttered, as she woke, and then promptly turned and vomited violently against the building.

Wiping the remains of dinner from her mouth she said, "I have a concussion, just get me home, my dad can handle it" before growing quiet again.

Vegeta lifted her up gently in his harms, and flew her home.


	11. made of stronger stuff

Vegeta kicked the door in to the lab, once again, and laid her down on the cot in the medical wing. Calling out for her father, ordering him to appear immediately, he then shook her trying to wake her once again.

Bulma groggly said "ugh knock it off your gonna make me sick again" pushing his arms away from her and laying back on the bed.

As her father stumbled in half dressed, Vegeta game him a report "we were out at some 'club' and her and Yamcha had an argument, he knocked her against the wall hitting her head, she said she thinks it's some 'concussion' thing" he said, stepping back to allow the doctor to work.

"hmm" he said softly, preparing the CT scanner they kept in the room, "Bulma hunny, I need you to wake up and answer some questions for me" he said as he softly tapped her face.

Bulma muttered her replies as he assessed her various systems, then he sent the table through the scanner.

"well looks all clear, just a moderate concussion," her father said, "go ahead and sleep hunny, I'll check in on you periodically" to the side he said "really Vegeta shell be fine, you should get some rest."

Vegeta stormed off to his room, after determining that sleep was not an option, he chose instead to train thinking, _if I can't beat the shit out of that cowardly runt, I'll demolish those bots instead. Kakarrot owes me a hell of a fight after the stunt he pulled. _

Bulma woke the next morning to the sound of her cell phone. "umm hello,"

"_hey"_ she heard Yamcha mutter on the other end of the line.

"what the hell do you want?" she said, still obviously pissed.

"_I just wanted to see if you were ok, and to tell you I forgive you"_ he replied darkly.

"Forgive me! For what? You're the one who gave me a fucking concussion" she said, wincing at the headache her shrill screaming was giving her.

"_For nearly fucking _Vegeta_ in front of a crowd for starters, I know you aren't really interested in that jerk. I got the message loud and clear, you want me back, and I'm willing to let that happen on a few conditions" _he said.

"Fuck you, and your conditions. In case you didn't notice I'm doing just fine without you. And that wasn't some stupid act, I am interested in him. I want him _bad_." She said suddenly felling viscously vindictive. "And when my head stops spinning from you slamming me into a _wall_ I have every intention of showing him just how bad I want him." She said before slamming the phone shut. _I can't believe the nerve of that self-centered bastard! _She said to herself.

Ripping off the various censors her dad had in place she exited the exam room, "hey dad, umm thanks for taking care of me last night." She said shyly, knowing full well he doesn't approve of her drinking and such.

"It's ok hun, how are you feeling?" he asked still concerned.

"A lot better, thanks, I'm gonna go get cleaned up" she said heading for the stairs.

"Promise me one thing first?" he asked "that you'll never date that piece of shit again" he said.

"Uhhh, ya, I promise" she replied, shocked to hear her mild mannered father cuss. She ran upstairs as fast as her throbbing head would let her.

After taking a long, hot, luxurious shower, Bulma left to grab some food. Her mind already on the new sample she was testing in the lab, _this could be it, a few more tests and then I'll take it to beta. If I break this it could be a real turning point for the guys. Too bad it won't be useful in the military market; it really is a genus idea. _

Her mind so lost in her work she didn't notice Vegeta as he rounded the corner, heading for bed after a long night of training. "umph" she said as she walked into the brick wall of his chest.

"Ugh, woman watch where the hell you're walking" he said to her, in his usual grouchy state.

"Oh, sorry about that, I was thinking" she said rather absent mindedly, she was still debating a different technique for constructing her sample pre testing.

"I'm surprised you can still do that after last night." He said to her smirking and blocking her way to the stairs.

"It was a good dance, but not quite that good" she said, blushing even while she flirted.

"Hmm, maybe we should go work on that" he said as he backed her against the wall, hand gently brushing her check.

"Ohh, umm, I don't know about all that" she replied turning to the side for her escape "I've gotta get to work on this new thing, and you really need a shower, and I just . .. ."

"I see," he said attempting to hide the disappointment in his voice as he continued walking to his room.

"I don't mean never" she shouted back to him as he walked, "just that right this moment, I'm really close to a break through, I need to focus"

"Alright" he said, a small amount of his hope restored.

As he showered off he thought to himself _I just don't get it, she's nothing. She's some alien whore on a back water planet. Why the hell should I care if . . . I don't know, what the hell! I need to focus on the fight at hand, and preparing for the fights after that. I need to be planning my strategy for taking down the Cold regime. For ascending! For avenging my people! Not pursuing some random female like a horny half-wit. I've gotta get the hell off this rock! _

Bulma grabbed a quick snack and headed for the lab. Grabbing her latest sample she began testing. She zapped, cut, poked and prodded it until. _Perfect, now just to get a larger construction and set up the Beta phase. _

Vegeta!" she shouted "Hey Vegeta, I think I've done it! I need you to test this" Running up the stairs with the flap of cloth she busted down his door, too engrossed in her excitement to knock.

"I need you to - - - oh!" she shouted covering her eyes with the cloth as she backed out of the room "I'm soo sorry, I should have knocked, I can't believe I just. . ."_ saw his bare delicious ass_ she thought to herself, almost giggling. _Stop it Bluma! Honestly, you're clearly on the rebound, and he deserves better than some horny heartbroken mess of a girl!_

Rising from the bed and covering himself quickly he shouted "I'll make you sorry! What the fuck was that about!" _stupid wretched woman. _ He thought, _Why the fuck can't she just leave me in peace?_

"Oh, God, I'm sorry I was just so excited, I think I figured it out! I just need you to help test it and then I can start production!" she said eagerness returning despite her embarrassment.

"You have the strangest way of asking for help, generally infuriating someone is the opposite way to go!" he said now turning to open the door, fully dressed. "What the hell is it?"

"it'll only take a minute see, I've been working on developing this new cloth using ionicly charged metals mixed with a thread based off of –" she began, as she paced around his room.

"Just get to the point woman!" he said, exhausted and exasperated.

"I'm hoping this fabric can deflect Ki blasts, serving as armor" she said quickly.

Vegeta's exhaustion faded quickly at the prospect of her statement. _Not even Sayain armor could do that, and we have the best armor in the universe! _

"Prove it" he replied commandingly, grabbing the cloth from her and leaping off the balcony.

"Hey what the hell! I wanna see!" she yelled from the window.

He flew up quickly and grabbed her as she explained "start out very small and work your way up slowly" she said as she settled on the ground "give me time between blasts to examine it, I want to see at what point it frays and at what point it is destroyed. After this test I'll produce a larger sample and we can see how it handles individual blasts and compare it to the results of the cumulative damage we find here" She set the sample against a rock in the yard and stepped back from it, turning to see Vegeta looking slightly disappointed.

"What do you mean is destroyed?" he asked "a minute ago you seemed confident this would work"

"That's not how it works. And it's just Beta testing, besides, I'll probably never be able to make something fully invincible. It'll still be rather resistant and should help deflect a lot of the ki." She said hopefully, she prepared herself for the hardest part of testing; watching weeks of work go up in smoke.

"Remember start small" she said as he set up his attack. Four blasts latter she saw some microscopic damage. After 9 blasts, all of increasing intensity, she could see obvious fraying. Finally after 15 blasts the fabric was toast. Disappointedly she removed her hard work from the rock and peaked at Vegeta through the hole.

"That last one was about half of my hardest blast, that's pretty durable fabric, how's the rock?" he asked now eagerly awaiting the results.

"Only a slight crack from the last blast" she muttered still disappointed her work didn't hold up as well as she hoped.

"Look at the rock now" he said sending another blast at the bare stone "that was the force I used in the last blast" the rock was gone, in its wake a fine powered of sand. "I'd say that's pretty useful armor"

"You think it'll help?" she asked, hopefully.

"I know it will" he said as he took the fabric from her hands, giving her a small kiss on the lips as reward for her hard work in developing it. He took pleasure in the slight blush on her cheeks, then frowning thought; _I can't allow myself to be distracted. _

He took the fabric running it through his hands; it was very flexible, and surprisingly breathable. There was quite a bit of stretch to it_, it should serve quite well in combat,_ he thought.

"I'm hoping to make it into a kind of under-armor for you guys." She said "You could wear it comfortably under the clothing of your choice and it'll fit as if it's not there." Then she thought "Do you have any specific color or something you would like?"

"Dark blue" he said, the color of the Sayian army.


	12. its a date?

She had fire in her soul it was easy to see

How the devil himself could be pulled out of me

'into the night' Carlos Santana

The weeks went by, Bulma absorbed in her work with abandon; she never realized how distracting a relationship was until she saw what she accomplished when she was without one. She was always the kind of girl who needed 'someone' in her life, for once the only one bossing her around was her muse, and occasionally a certain prince.

"Woman! I need more of those damb bots! And would it kill you to make them a bit sturdier!" Vegeta shouted as he entered her lab again. Causing Bulma to contemplate not for the first time getting a Sayain proof lock installed.

"woman did you hear me!" he shouted as he grew closer to her work station.

"the whole universe heard you Vegeta, 30,000 years from now someone on Sirius is going to go 'why the hell is he yelling again?'" she said with facetious ire. "and why are you complaining about my bots now?"

"This is why" he said as he dumped part of the remains of the last one on her work station, "they keep breaking."

"damb it Vegeta! Now the parts are all mixed up with my work, it'll take hours to sort out." She replied, now no longer having to fake her irritation.

"Hmm, guess you'll just have to take a break!" he said as he scooped her up from the desk carrying her up the steps even as she flailed her arms in retaliation.

"Oh come on! I never interrupt you when you're training!" she shouted, causing Vegeta to roll his eyes at her obvious lye "besides if you distract me now, it'll take longer for me to fix the bots!"

"Fix! Ha! You need to completely remodel those little toys woman. The design is obviously weak and flawed, I thought you claimed to be a genius or something?" he said baiting her own. He dumped her into the entertainment room and went rooting threw the 'DVDs' as she called them, to find something for them to enjoy.

"I AM a genius, and there's no way those bots are flawed! Your breaking them on purpose." She said petulantly.

"I'm breaking them because their weak, and until they are repaired I cannot resume my training. If I can't work you can't, you'll just have to entertain me. Here, play this." He said handing her the 'Chronicles of Riddick", judging by the cover it seems an entertaining killing spree if there ever was one.

"Entertain you? This isn't a Nirvana song." She said earning her a confused look from the man as she went to put in the movie. "I'll work on a stronger bot soon, in the meantime you'll just have to spar with Goku or something."

"That third class won't even serve for entertainment" Vegeta said smugly.

"Last I checked that 'third class' mopped the floor with you" Bulma said in defense of her friend. "Besides the whole gang is coming by tomorrow to pick up their armor, you two can test it out for us."

"Hn" the Sayian replied as the movie began.

This particular movie proved to be more up Vegetas alley than he originally thought. While a little more fiction than science the concept was all too familiar to him. Bulma paused the movie occasionally to ask him how accurate the film was to the reality of interplanetary life, and Vegeta slowly revealed a bit of his life to her, trusting her. Best of all for Vegeta, he found his favorite movie quote and fighting line 'I will kill you with a tea cup'. That line alone sent him into fits of laughter which only grew at the sight of the resulting violence. 

As the movie ended Bulma stretched and read the clock on the DVD player (yes she did program it, she is a genus after all), 4:37pm. "We should probably get ready for the Banquet tonight, it starts in about 2 hrs" She said nudging her pillow/friend in the ribs.

"hmm yes I guess, I hate court" he muttered as he rose.

"We'll it's not 'court', but I guess in most ways it will be similar. Just follow my lead and play nice, I know that tough for you, but do your best for me please" she said grudgingly.

"We'll see" he muttered as he walked up the stairs to get dressed.

Bulma had just finished her make-up, blood red lips to perfectly match her scarlet halter dress. She slipped on the first of her stilettos when she heard "woman!"

"What is it now Vegeta?" she called out from the neighboring room. .

"How the hell does this noose work?" he asked as he exited his room to the hall.

"Here I'll do it, and it's a tie not a noose" she said giving him a slap on the arm after fixing his tie. Taking a deep sighing breath she said "are you ready for this?"

"You don't look any more eager than I do for this" he muttered grudgingly as they made their way to the limo.

The hall was decked out in CC blue, the logo everywhere, even the flowers were a navy blue. Bulma thought it looked tacky, but Vegeta seemed to like the color none the less, he remarked vaguely about it being a color of distinction on Vegeta-sie. They made their way, arm in arm, staying relatively close to her parents. Bulma politely introduced Vegeta to each person who joined them in the hall. Bulma figured he forgot the names as soon as they were said, it was a lot to remember, and Vegeta already looked board.

That is until he said "Mrs Perriveiw seems to hold some sort of animosity towards you" softly in her ear.

Fighting the urge to look at the woman in question she explained "she's the head of medical development. We had Goku treated for some injuries once at HQ, she's always resented me for not letting her have a 'closer' look at him for testing." Softly.

"hmm, as much as I would love to be of assistance to you, I would not want to be subjected to whatever that woman has planned" he said to her carefully.

"Vegeta, you know I would never even ask you to become a test subject," she replied in shock "besides you know enough about Sayain anatomy to keep yourself and Goku well, and that's all I'd ever be worried about."

Vegeta hid his relief from her words, "Good, I've been forced down that road before and I'm grateful you won't ask it of me."

Bulma was surprised by his behavior, he was well, good. He made no scathing comments or sarcastic jokes; it unnerved her how out of character he was being. Half way through the dinner she asked him "what happened to the jerk we all know and love? You're acting rather, different."

"When in court you show the people what they need to see, be it stronger rulers" he said nodding to her father "or a well behaved date" he said smiling to her. "Don't worry" he whispered "I'll make up for lost 'jerkiness' when this is over. But for now, let's worry about putting a good face on your kingdom."

"It's a company, not a kingdom" She whispered back, leaning in over the table.

Vegeta allowed himself the quickest glance at her cleavage as she leaned forward, and replied "If there is one thing I've learned from your father, it's that there is little difference."

The dinner completed, the presentations began. Vegeta was very interested in the diverse areas of research being conducted by the company. The accounting presentation, however, bored him into a dull stupor until the man said the words 'hostile takeover'. Bulma laughed softly when Vegeta visibly perked up at the term "It's not what you're thinking" she muttered to him.

After the presentation the band began to play and couples wondered towards the dance floor. She was surprised to see Vegeta's hand extended to her, as she accepted it she whispered "can you dance like this?"

"Of course I can woman," he muttered in irritation "yours isn't the only planet to develop these steps." As he pulled her close the band attempted a rendition of the song "Into the night" From Carlos Santana. Grateful for his strong lead, once again, he pulled Bulma into a passionate Salsa. This time, however, they managed to control their attraction. After spinning her out of the final dip they made their way to the table for another drink. Their paths were crossed by a tall brunette, wearing a lime green rather short dress.

"Your quite the dancer Mr. Vegeta was it?" a husky voice said as she approached.

"Thank you, Mrs. Yates" He replied politely as he handed Bulma her glass.

"Please, call me Jen. Care to take another spin?" she asked boldly flirting with him.

"Actually, Bulma and I were about to get a bit of fresh air. Maybe another time Mrs. Yates" He said pulling Bluma away and out onto the terrace.

"I can't believe the nerve some of these humans have" He whispered to Bulma, keeping any distaste from showing on his face.

"Yha, and shell only get more persistent as the night goes on. We should probably get home any way, I have some Bots to remodel." she said smirking to him.

"Fine, there's just one more think I wanted to do" he said, _just one more taste_ he thought, as he leaned in and kissed her gently.

They entered the back of the limo, and Bulma waited a few seconds until turning to him. She said "you're not getting off that easy Mr." As she turned and straddled his lap, kissing him with a passion, nipping and biting his lips, running her fingers through his hair. Then as the car stopped she resumed her seat, to exit with complete decorum.


	13. already gone

Remember all the thing we wanted

And all the memories that haunted

We were always meant to say goodbye

Kelly Clarkson, 'already gone'

Vegeta held true to his promise of making up for his good behavior yesterday. He had lost some sleep last night after her little display in the back of the limo. Distractions in battle or in training can lead to serious consequences, and the woman was one hell of a distraction. He spent his whole life denying himself food, rest, and pleasure in the pursuit of his training. How could one woman cause a lust that could undermine that strength of will?

To say the least he was in a foul mood, and took it out on the seductress in question. Ignoring her when possible, and when the crossed paths he would growl and grind his teeth in irritation. He spent the entire morning and better part of the afternoon taking his ever mounting frustration out on the newly designed bots. He was surprised to find his attacks less effective. Upon closer examination he noticed her armor fabric was used to make their skin. His heart softened slightly at the sight of her inventiveness at work. _She has her uses_ he thought, _but distracting me is not one of them_.

Toward the end of the afternoon he detected a high ki headed towards the compound and left to greet the unexpected visitor.

"Kakarrot, what the hell are you doing here" he said gruffly, nodding to the woman in his arms.

"Bulma invited us over for a visit; she said she had a new invention to show us." He said cheerfully as he placed Chichi down on the soft grass.

"hm, well as long as you're here, wanna have a spar?" Vegeta asked hiding his eagerness at testing his new strength against his rival.

Goku's eyes lit up with excitement as he looked towards Chichi, "oh fine, but when I say come in you come in! No back talk!" she said to her husband.

"K, hun, cya" he replied as he lead Vegeta off to the open area in the middle of the compound to fight.

Chichi let herself into the main house, calling out for Bulma as she did. "In the lab!" Bulma replied turning back to her mannequin.

"Where's Goku?" Bulma asked dejectedly.

"Off kicking the crap out of Vegeta for a bit, till the others get here" Chichi replied as she looked at the odd display Bulma was working on.

"oh, good, maybe it'll get whatever crawled up his butt outta his system" Bulma said.

"Why, what happened?"

"He's just been such an asshole today! I don't know what happened, yesterday things were great, and he was downright sweet. Today it's like he hates me all of a sudden." Bulma replied in frustration.

"Isn't he normally an asshole?" Chichi asked confused, "you're surprised by him being a jerk, I'm shocked that he's ever not a jerk, and 'sweet' should never be used to describe Vegeta"

"Not when it's us," Bulma said wistfully "no one else gets to see it for some reason, but with just me he is sweet."

"Well after the way Yamcha was any attentions better than no attention I guess. But you need to watch 'this'" Chichi said waving her hand in the air in front of Bulmas love-struck facial expression. "Not only are you on the rebound, but Vegeta is a mass murdering Alien. He may be on our team for the moment, but that doesn't change who he is or what he's done."

"I guess," Bulma replied dejectedly "but he's never had anyone who expected better of him, he went from a broken kingdom of war hungry assassins, to being kept under that Freza's thumb all his life. He's never had a good home, or someone to show him love. He just needs to be given a chance."

"Listen, I know you have a thing for guys who are 'projects' but this needs to stop" Chichi said "I don't know how else to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. He's not 'marriage' material, and you need to be thinking about a husband. Dear loard can you imagine him with children! He's good for a bit of fun and distraction, but don't think he's 'the one' that guys not capable of being a 'one' for anyone."

"You can't fix him" Chichi said turning Bulma around to face her.

"I wouldn't want to." Bulma said quietly to herself. As much as respects her friends' opinion, she hasn't seen the other side of Vegeta, no one else probably ever will. Yes, she wishes he didn't have to suffer so much, but without it he wouldn't be the man he is. _Besides, he's not interested in me for something that serious anyway. I'll keep things casual_, she thought to herself.

As the other members of their gang, descended Chichi left to call in Goku and Vegeta for Bulmas presentation. Piccolo arrived with Gohan tailing behind him.

"Umph" Bulma said as Gohan rushed into her for a hug "I missed you too buddy, good grief look at those arms" She said to him as she took his hand and lead the group down to the field in the yard.

Once everyone was assembled she placed the steel maniquin in the middle of the yard. Turning to Vegeta, who was no longer as irritated with her, she nodded. Vegeta then sent a large ki blast to the mannequin. The gang was in shock as they inspected the mannequin, it was untouched by Vegetas blast.

"It's armor!" Bulma said excitedly "it will deflect some of the ki you're attacked with. It's stretchy, breathable and can be worn any clothing, nearly undetectable. I could go into all the science of it, but as I've been informed." she said giving Vegeta a stern look. "None of you really give a shit about ionicly charged tungsten."

She turned to the box by the door, retrieving out the various garments. "There's one for each of you, and I'm working on another set so everyone can have a change." She said as she handed them to each person.

Chichi snatched Goku's from him, curious to inspect it "where are the seams, how did you cut it and sew it?" she asked as she stretched it in her hands.

"That was actually a bit of a challenge, the fabric is practically invincible so even lasers didn't work. Eventually I settled for making a mold and manufacturing the fabric to each person's proportions. As you can see though, it's stretchy enough to just step into." Bulma said indicating to Gohan who had already striped and begun putting on his new suit in the back of the group.

"GOHAN! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!" chichi shouted at her half nude son. "Get dressed this instant, running around half naked, you are grounded!"

"But mom, I just wanted to try it on." Gohan protested.

"When I get home you better be in your room studying. I want to see 30 pages of that math work done by the time I get back! Go, now!" she said shooing her son into the air. Gohan waved to his friends before flying off home.

Bulma was still laughing quietly when she said "he does take after his father sometimes" remembering Goku's nudist ways as a child.

"let's go" Chichi said pulling her husband behind her.

Vegeta considered objecting, their spar was left unfinished. But seeing the enraged woman storm off, he thought better of it. Instead he took off for the GR as irritated as ever. Bulma spared him a glance before entertaining various questions from the others. Her own mood instantly improved by their praise.

"Now nothing stands a chance against us!" Krillin said cheerfully as he emerged from the bathroom, the new cloth under his usual clothing.

"I just wanted to do _something_ to help" Bulma said, blushing at the praise.

"You did great, babe" Yamcha said as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. For some reason the motion made her miss Vegeta. Maybe chichi was right to warn her, her heart could be getting involved. She shrugged out of his grasp as she saw Krillin and Piccolo off.

Yamcha came up, and wrapped his arms around her waist "I miss you, you know" he said softly in her ear.

"Can we not do this right now," Bulma said with a mix of irritation and sadness. _He'll always have a piece of my heart, _she thought_, but it's not his anymore._

"I want to work things out, we've been through so much together" Yamcha said "don't you want to be happy again?"

"Of course, but I don't think it'll be with you" She said, trying to find a compassionate way to tell him she settled on "I've moved on Yamcha, we just weren't right for each other. I want you to find happiness, but it won't be with me"

"Don't be like this, we're perfect together." He said attempting to bring her into a hug again.

"Like I've said, I've moved on." She said attempting to brush away his arms even as he over powered her and forced her into an embrace. "I don't know how to make this any clearer, we are over."

They turned as they heard a large crash in the back of the compound. His arms loosened in surprise and Bulma tore out of them running towards the GR, the source of the crash.

"Oh my god Vegeta! Where are you!" she screamed as she began tarring through the rubble, tears rolling down her face. She breathed a sigh of relief as she found him and dug him out. She held him even as he begged her to let go. _So, she really has moved on._ Yamcha thought in irritation at the sight of the woman so distressed over the Sayian.

"I'm fine, get the hell off me woman" Vegeta said gruffly even as his vision darkened.

"You aren't fine, I'm getting you to the med lab!" she said as Vegeta fainted in her arms "Yamcha, help me carry him" she called out.

"I can't do this" the man muttered, in shock of what he saw. Without a glance to her as she struggled to revive the Sayain, he took to the air.

Bulma managed to get Vegeta awake long enough to walk him to the med room. Where he, thankfully, passed out on the exam table. As worried as she was about him, having him unconscious made the various tests easier to conduct. She reviewed the X-rays to find that he had walked here, with multiple fractures, nearly ever bone in his left leg was broken. His right was little better, a compound tibia fracture. Her father arrived shortly after, and between the two of them they were able to insert a chest tube and intubate him for the collapsed lung. They placed a call for Dr. Rietchi to come down ASAP, and see to the various fractures. Luckily there was no damage to his skull or brain, _thick headed bastard_ she thought proudly.

The life threatening injuries were taken care of, and the Dr. would be here soon for the rest. She sat at the desk nearby to keep watch, and sedate him when necessary. They need him out for at least 24hrs to recover and Sayains can go through a lot of morphine in that time. _If he wakes up_, she thought _guaranteed he'll fight and end up worsening his injuries. _She set up netbook at the desk next to his bed, and began drawing up the schematics for a permanent GR, one that can withstand greater pressure and damage without caving in. The one from Goku's ship was never designed for this extreme prolonged use.


	14. healing and repair

She set the alarm on the heart monitor to go off when his heart rate reached 90 bpm. It'll go off only if he started coming around and give her enough time to administer the morphine before he became fully conscious and tore out the intubation tubing. Though she had to administer more morphine every 3 hours or so, she accomplished quite a bit on the plans for the new GR. _This new room will be much larger than before, almost as large as the gym. The dome shape will allow for support without support beams crowding the room. The control panel will be near the door, and an emergency off switch placed outside the door so I can enter whenever I want, or turn it off if he's pissed me off._ _As a matter of fact, ill hook a trigger to the door so it will deactivate the gravity when the door is opened, just in case. Hmm, seeing as it'll be a permanent structure I can recalculate a bit, and make the gravity level go up to at least 500._

Returning from giving Vegeta another dose of morphine she looked back over the plans with a fresh eye. _It should hold up as long as he doesn't try to use ki in there, it destroyed the support before and probably caused this cave-in. Wait! I can line the room with my Fabric! I'll shoot manufacturing an email and tell them I need the panels of it ASAP. He'll be pissed when he finds my technology can withstand anything he can throw at it! _She smiled at the prospect of a true competition between them, his strength vs. her smarts. Feeling her mind grow bored on the subject of the new GR, she turned her attention to redesigning the battle bots. _There must be a way to make a few that could give him a run for his money! Hmm, maybe I can get Goku to test them for me so I work out the kinks before Vegeta has a go at them. _

She gave Vegeta another dose of morphine and began redrawing the bots. Half way through the skematics on the bots her eyelids grew heavy. And despite her third cup of coffee sitting before her, she began to sleep.

Vegeta woke to a loud annoying Beep, he attempted to groan his irritation only to find that he was being choked. Flailing in a panic at the horrible gaging sensation, he knocked the tubing from his throat and sat upright. Searing pain washed over him as he attempted to move, he settled for sending a ki blast to the beeping machine, and lying back down.

Bulma woke at the sound of the heart monitor being blown up. Nearly knocking over the table as she jumped to her feet she looked around and realized she was in the med ward. "Oh, Vegeta, you're up. I'm sorry I meant to stay up and keep you sedated, I must have nodded off. She said as she dug out a new heart monitor to replace the destroyed machine.

"You're the one who drugged me, you stupid woman, you had no right." He rasped with a gravely hoarse voice.

"And you're the dumbass who took out the intubation tube, you weren't supposed to be off that ventilator for another 14 hours, and even then you're supposed to be weaned off of it." She said as she checked his pulse ox, 89%, _it'll have to do, _she thought,_ there's no way in hell he'll let me re sedate him and intubate him again, and if I try to put oxygen on him he'd probably ensure I go the same way the monitor did. _"let me listen to your lungs, and see if you've done any damage"

He looked at her suspiciously as she neared him with stethoscope at the ready. "what are you doing with that thing?" he asked.

"Really Vegeta, you think you'd trust me by now. This is a stethoscope; it simply magnifies the sounds in your lungs and lets me listen to them through this ear piece." _All the technology in the universe and he doesn't know what a stethoscope is_ she thought as she placed it against his left side. With a sigh of relief, she heard the gentle wooshing of air in his lungs. Moving the stethoscope a few inches lower on his back she was relieved when she didn't hear the crackle and gurgle of liquid, fluid buildup wasn't uncommon after intubation. _He probably didn't have the damb tube in long enough to cause any swelling. _She thought.

"Are you in any pain?" she asked.

"Seriously woman? You think I can't handle a few broken bones?" he said even as he tried to get up again.

"Stay still!" she shouted holding him down, surprisingly he let her. _Well that answers my question,_ she thought as he laid back down. She began drawing up more morphine.

At first Vegeta didn't think twice when he saw her connect the syringe of medication to a tube, and then he realized the tube was connected to his arm. He tore the IV out in alarm.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Bulma shouted in alarm as morphine and saline spilled out on the floor.

"Quit your shouting woman! My head can't handle your shrill screaming. And what right do you have to put a tube inside my body. What kind of primitive witch doctor are you? Who sticks tubes into people?" Vegeta retaliated.

"How else am I supposed to get the pain medicine in you? I'll have you know this is a cutting edge medical exam room. And it's not a 'tube' it's an IV port." Bulma defended.

"Damb your room, and damb your ridiculous 'medicine', it's a plastic tube you've inserted _into_ my body! If that's 'cutting edge' I'd hate to see what this crap planet was using for medicine a few centuries ago. Where the hells the regen tank?" He asked still considering if was some horrible dream.

Bulma blushed at his statement, thinking of the leaches that were used for medicine a few centuries ago. "There is no REGEN TANK! We don't have them on this planet! If you had let me take a look at it, I may have been able to replicate one by now. But no! I never got to go anywhere on that planet! The only things I saw on namiek were the damb TOADS and even those tried to KILL ME!"

With a sigh Vegeta lowered himself back to the bed, refusing to show her the pain he was in. "then how the hell do you heal yourselves?" he asked with a tone of resignation.

"You set the breaks, treat the wounds, and help your body heal itself, it's a good thing we were able to remove the chest tubes before you started thrashing around." She said relaxing a bit. "In the meantime I need to reinsert your IV, and give you some morphine to help with the pain."

"I'm not in pain" he muttered, scowling at the needle she was preparing.

"Tough, you're getting the morphine; we need the muscles to be relaxed to allow the bones to set properly." She said, approaching with the IV needle.

"You don't need to use that thing again, do you?" he said, apprehension clear on his face as he stared at the IV needle.

"You aren't afraid of them are you, I wouldn't be surprised, Goku's deathly afraid of needles" Bulma said, a sly smile plain on her face.

"Don't ever compare me to that fool. I would never be afraid of some primitive stick." Vegeta said, though he had to look away as she inserted the IV, he didn't flinch.

"Just, lay back and relax. Taking a nap would be a really good idea right now. When you wake up I'll show you some new toys I've been working on for you." She said gently.

"They aren't toys, they're for my train. . ." he said as the morphine took effect, forcing him into oblivion.


	15. a strange story

"Woman. WOMAN!" Vegeta shouted grateful that his voice had returned to its normal level of gruffness.

Bulma woke with a start, notebook page sticking to the side of her face. "huh, what?"

"I'm awake," Vegeta said irritably "You said that I am not to get out of bed until you inspect the injuries" he was livid that he require such assistance, but knew if the bones didn't heal properly he could be unable to fight again. Once again, he was determined to find a way for the woman to build a regen tank.

"Great, let me run another X-ray and see how your healing is coming along" Bulma said as she prepared the machine. Appreciation and curiosity shone on her face as she click the films on the computer screen. "Well you're healing quite fast, I guess that's normal for Sayians though" she said absent mindedly.

"Taking into consideration your primitive medical skills and health, I'm surprise Humans survive paper cuts" Vegeta said irritation growing.

"Fuck you, and judging by your rate of healing you'll be in those casts for another 2 days." Bulma said cheerfully. "You can get up and walk around if you feel up to it, I'll take out your IV in a minute, if you have any pain tell me immediately so I can get you medicine for it" she said as she detached the monitor.

"Great" he said as he ripped out the IV again "I won't have any pain," he said as he hobbled off the table. It wasn't until he reached the door that he remembered he had blown up the GR. "Have you rebuilt the GR, Woman, or is there someone else appropriate for training?"

"I said you can walk, I never said you can train! You are to do no training exercising or lifting of any kind until those cast come off. I don't even want you on your feet more than necessary." Bulma said scathingly.

"Don't be ridiculous woman. I have to resume my training" Vegeta replied in shock.

"The slightest damage you do to any of those bones now could cause continuous problems for the rest of your life! You can wait 2 more days before you resume training." Bulma said.

"And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" he asked irritation returning tenfold. But he believed her when she said the damage could be permanent.

"Well I can show you where the library is, you found theology very interesting before. Or there's loads of other books in there, there's more movies you haven't seen" she said as she lead him upstairs to the library.

"Will you watch them with me?" he asked trying to hide his hopefulness.

"Later tonight sure, but now that you're up and moving I'm going to get started on the new GR. I've designed some improvements that will really give you a hard time!" she said excitedly.

They turned the corner into another room. The room was quite large, with an old oak desk towards the back. A comfortable dark red leather lounge chair took up the left corner of the room. The rest was covered floor to ceiling in books. Not just hard backs in matching covers, though there were loads of those as well, but also paperbacks. Torn and tattered, Vegeta inspected the worn books first, figuring them to be the most read and therefore the most important.

"This man's half naked!" he shouted as he dropped the novel.

Bulma's laughter chimed through the room "you found my romance collection, I'd doubt you want to read about that stuff" she said picking up the book and placing it back on the shelf.

"Why? Do you not want me to read it?" Vegeta asked with curiosity.

"No, it's just." Bulma said blushing "well their romance novels, their about people falling in love. And um the other things they do."

"Mushy shit," Vegeta mumbled as he continued on the shelf.

"Now here's one you'll enjoy!" Bulma cheered holding up a small tattered paperback.

"If it has another nude man on it, keep it to yourself" Vegeta replied as she tossed the book to him. He read the cover _Art of War_. "on second thought this one has potential" he said as he sat in the leather chair.

"Here prop the legs up" Bulma said as she leaned over him, close enough to kiss, to pull the leaver.

"What, UGH!" Vegeta said, blushing even as his legs were wrenched up. He had accidently gotten a solid wiff of her scent, and was already becoming aroused from her platonic act.

"Just get the fuck out of here. And rebuild the GR at once!" Vegeta said irritated and aroused.

"Yes sir!" Bulma said as she flicked him off once more.

"Woman! I know what that means now!" He shouted out after her as he turned to his book.

For being so small a book, he found it quite a difficult read. Every thought was referenced by some obscure story which was a euphemism for yet another concept. While being quite informative he found his mind drifting throughout the story. Half way through he picked up the other book she had shoved halfheartedly on the shelf.

_What is she really hiding with this 'romance' book?_ He thought to himself even as he cringed at the half-nude man on the cover. Opening the book, he shortly found himself engrossed in the story. Though he blushed often, he found he did enjoy the story. He allowed himself the pleasure of envisioning the woman with aqua colored hair, as he read the description of the humans mating. It wasn't long before his focus was completely drawn into the images those words produced, so much so that he did not detect the Ki coming down the hall, though it was rather large. He was shocked when the door to the library opened. He blushed violently as he stuffed the book into the chair, quickly looking up at his unexpected guest.

"Kakarrot! What the hell are you doing here!" he screamed with rage.

"I was just coming to see how you were, Bulma said you were hurt when the GR caved in yesterday" Goku said meekly, unsure of what he had done to irritate his friend. "Lunch is almost ready, let me help you up" he said even as he grabbed the man's shoulder and pulled.

"I don't need your goddamb help" Vegeta muttered even as he hobbled to keep his balance on his stiff legs.

"What's this?" Goku said as he picked up the fallen romance novel peering at the seminude model on the cover. "a ROMANCE NOVEL!" Goku shouted as he began rolling in laughter.

Vegeta blushed as he thought to himself, _this idiot is never going to let me live this down. _


	16. sweet and shocking

A/N – I hope no one gets offended by the religious jokes, but it is an alien's point of view, and Vegetas on top of that. So you kind of expect it to be offensive.

As the sun started to set, Bulma sent the men off, looking proudly at the half finished new GR. She had completed two of the bots today, and was half way through a third. After giving the new building a final walk through, marveling at her own ingenuity, she decided it was time to call it a day. _I'll get showered up, and then curl up with Vegeta and a good movie _she thought to herself, trying to deny the eager flips her heart was making at the thought.

She emerged from her room, wrapped in her favorite fluffy pajamas and yelled out "Hey Vegeta! Where are yha! Still on for the movie!" as she walked down the stairs and through the hall.

"In here woman!" Vegeta yelled from the library. Putting the large leather bound book aside. "Have you read this one yet?" he asked holding out the Bible towards her.

"Umm actually can't say I have, why?" she asked as she stood next to him.

"It's fantastic, this great creator 'God' these people worship, created them, and then just started torturing them for the fun of it. He screws with them so completely that they start to call him on the bullshit, so he floods the place so he can have new ones to torment. There's loads of stories in here about how much he just screws with them, and yet they keep coming back for more!" he said laughing at 'Gods' antics.

"Umm, yha but to a lot of people that's how it really happened" Bulma said shocked at his rendition of Old Testament.

"What? Woman, this is clearly fiction." Vegeta said, looking at Bulma as if she was having a delusion.

"We'll I don't argue that some of the stories seem farfetched, and they were obviously distorted by the verbal retelling, and the point of views of those experiencing it" Bulma said, attempting to explain the unexplainable. "But this is the basic text for the three largest religions on this planet, so to the vast majority of humans, this is the truth" she said tapping on the cover as if to emphasis her point.

"They. . . actually . . . believe. . . THIS! Like they think this is reality! But that's absurd!" Vegeta said too shocked to laugh. Then the smile was wiped from his face by a sudden thought. "You don't believe this to be true do you?" he asked.

"Well yes and no," Bulma said calmly trying to ignore the look of shock she earned. "These tales started before the written language was widely used. They were told around campfires for entertainment and passed down through generations. I believe in the retelling the 'truth' of the stories became distorted, making them grander and more miraculous. It's also well known that some of the stories are completely fictitious and were created to emphasis a certain moral. Besides, during the darkest times everyone needs something special to believe in, to make it all ok. What about just a few years ago, you believed in the legends of the Super Sayians? Though you had never seen one. Even if that turned out to be fiction, the important part is that it gave you something to believe in to get you through the hard parts of your life. That's what religion is really all about, hope." She said passionately.

"hmm," Vegeta said thoughtfully considering her words "these tales are completely false, but if what you say is true they still serve their purpose. As much as I hate to admit it, I did have my doubts about the legends sometimes. But I needed something to strive for; hope can be a very powerful motivator."

"So even if they are just fables, they mean something to some people, and who are we to take away their legends?" Bulma said compassionately.

"Well, you humans can come up with some very entertaining fables. There are some battle scenes in here that were fantastic!" Vegeta said excitedly. "And some of it obviously holds a grain of truth, these seraphim described here; their actually Arebrenians. They inhabited a planet about 3 systems over. I wouldn't be surprised if they visited occasionally, well up until a few centuries ago anyway."

"You're kidding! They were aliens, why wouldn't they still come here?" Bulma asked excitedly.

"If these descriptions can be held as accurate, they sure sound like them" Vegeta said "they were engaged in an ongoing dispute with the Cold regime, which would have greatly reduced their travel. They certainly aren't a threat to your planet now any way." He said smugly.

"Why?" Bulma asked.

"I purged that planet over a decade ago, not a one left!" Vegeta said as Bulma stared at him in shock.

"Oh, that sucks" Bulma said, rather disappointed.

"Why?" Vegeta asked, curious as to why she wasn't proud of him for eliminating a threat to her home planet.

"It would have been nice to have some neighbors, I mean the only other races we get along with are the Sayians and the Namiekians, and Namiek is so far away." She said disappointed. "And it would be nice if we could somehow get humans used to the idea of extraterrestrials not being a threat, so you guys wouldn't have to hide so much."

"The Arebrenians would have taken over anyway; they were out growing their planet, that's how they got into business with the Planetary Trade Organization. These few mentioned here were probably scouts. And I kind of like keeping a low profile on this planet, there are those off planet that would love to track me down. Consider it a blessing I can hide so well among the humans" He thought, eyes dark as he thought of what may happen if he was ever captured. "Trust me; this planet is better off being secluded in the middle of nowhere. It's a nice little rock; a lot of people would do a lot of horrible things to get ahold of a vacation property like this."

"It's weird, thinking of the earth as a vacation property. Any hoo! I wanted to get you down to the entertainment room; we still have some movies to watch!"

She stepped back to allow him to struggle out of the chair on his own. But as they neared the stairs she took his good arm in hers and led him down slowly, noting his stiff movement. _It's been quite a while since he's had any pain meds. _She thought, as she took his arm.

"Woman, I can walk on my own." Vegeta said grudgingly even as he leaned on her arm, breathing in the smell of her damp hair.

"I know you _can_ do it, but I want to help." she said cheerfully, though she strained under his weight.

"Why?" Vegeta asked, confused.

"Because, I'm your friend and that's what friends do, we help each other." She replied.

"Humph, I still don't quite understand why you would give a damb" He muttered to her.

"Like I said, I'm your friend." She stated as she lowered him gently on the sofa.

"Can't say I've had any, I don't really get the concept." He said as he rolled his eyes at her.

"We'll now you have loads, so get used to it. I care about you and nothing's going to change that." She said reassuringly, as she leaned forward to kiss him gently.

Wrapping his good arm around her head he pulled her towards him, deepening the kiss. "And what exactly does this friendship entail?" He asked alluringly as she caught her breath.

"Umm, I don't know" She muttered praying that the fog of lust wrapped around her head would clear soon. "I'm not ready for anything serious again, I can't handle the disappointment." She said, becoming increasingly morose.

"So, you don't want to become mates?" he asked hopefully, denying the pang of disappointment. He had vowed when his race was destroyed, that it would end with him and he would take no mate. No one had ever tempted him to break this vow, until her.

"No, no nothing that serious" She said blushing at the prospect of the Sayian equivalent of marriage. "Someday, I want that kind of life. But I can't let my heart get involved again, I can't take the pain. So let's just . . . . be friends?" she said shyly.

"As long as I have your permission to keep kissing you, I don't care what the hell you want to call it." He said glad that she had not further expectations of him.

"The kissing is, well, great. And anything else will just have to wait, your still injured anyway." She said blushing.

"I can think of one bone that definitely isn't broken." He replied flirtatiously as he kissed her deeply again. She gently laid herself against him, finally giving in to the desire to touch him so intimately. He ran his hand through her damp hair and down her back, then raising her shirt slightly to feel the soft skin at the small of her back. She groaned as she traced her lip down his jaw. Vegeta opened his eyes slightly at the pleasure and seeing the fan twirling above him asked. "Why are we in this room?"

"Oh, haha, the movie, I forgot." Bulma replied as she gently raised herself off of him and selected a DVD from their collection.

_I should have just kept my mouth shut _Vegeta thought, growling to himself as he felt the cool breeze above him, where her body was moments before.


	17. PMS

A/N – I swear all this fluff is going somewhere, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and these two are stubborn as hell. I'll get there . . . . Eventually.

You're hot then you're cold

You're yes than you're no

You're in then you're out

You're up then you're down

Katy Perry – Hot n Cold (duh)

The X-rays came back clear, _3 days after the accident and it looks as though he was never injured, sometimes being Human just doesn't seem fair. _Bulma thought as she prepared the saw to remove the casts.

"Is the new GR finished?" Vegeta asked irritably.

_Great he's pissed again for some unknown reason; I swear it's not even worth the effort to try to predict his moods_. Bulma thought even as she replied "Yes, and I've got 4 bots done up as well, they should keep you occupied for a while, and give me time to get some real work done." She muttered, _I guess foul moods are contagious, oh well if he can be pissy so can I!_ She carefully sawed off the casts.

"As if any chunk of metal you toss together could be more than a foolish toy for me" Vegeta replied arrogantly. Attempting to hide his exhaustion, their conduct on the sofa led to yet another restless night. He thought some more reading would help him sleep, after 'accidently' grabbing another romance book, he discovered it only gave him more to think about. Those ridiculous books gave a very clear insight into a human woman's expectations when it came to a relationship with a male. And every one of those wretched books ended in the same thing, marriage. And becoming Mated to anyone was out of the question for him. _She deserves someone who can give her the life she wants, who will stick around. If I never intent to mate her then how am I any better than that dumbass she was with before?_ He thought recalling Yamcha's disrespect for the woman with rage. _It's all or nothing, and I can't do all, so I'll give her nothing! _He thought as he slammed the door to the lab behind him. _Time to demolish those bots!_

Bulma's new, darkened mood continued throughout the day, and into the afternoon, when she had arranged for the Son family to pick up their second set of armor.

"Hey B!" Goku shouted as their car landed softly in the grass. The large Sayain crawled out of the cramped vehicle, leaving Gohan and Chichi trailing slightly behind.

"Hey guys they're all finished" Bulma replied with mock cheer, hugging Chichi. "Are you all staying for dinner?" she asked.

Goku looked pleadingly at Chichi as she reassuringly said "why not, we need some girl time anyway, and the guys can have some time in the gym."

"Actually the new GR is all finished, it's big enough for them all." Bulma said proud to show off her work a little.

"Are you sure Vegeta will be ok with sharing?" Goku asked, hopeful.

"He better be, it's my machine! I built it, I own it, and I get to say who uses it. If he gives you any grief you send him to me." Bulma replied menacingly.

The two males took off at a run for the GR, eager to train, and avoid Bulma's foul mood.

"Hello P-M-S!" Chichi chimed after the boys had left.

Bulma did some quick calculations and groaned, Chichi was right, dambit. "Ugh, I guess it is getting out of hand but it's not all biology's fault. That asshole contributed quite a bit!" She replied with venom "I guess I should get some coffee to take the edge off though."

"Good idea" Chichi said calmingly as they made their way to the kitchen.

Bulma knew very well that caffeine was somehow a miracle cure for her PMS, it didn't fix it, but it often took the edge off enough to not go on a complete killing spree.

"This is the one time of the month where I'm more dangerous than Vegeta huh?" She said laughingly as she held the warm cup to her lips.

"Like that's possible woman." A gruff voice replied, as Vegeta rounded the corner. "What the hell are you doing sending those fools to MY GR!"

Chichi was about to start flinging a frying pan at the insult when she saw the smile on Bulma's face a smile which clearly said 'I'm going to make you suffer a long and painful death, and then bath in your blood'. Even Vegeta was taken back at the look of sheer pleasure and violence on the womans face. He nearly grew hard at the sight of it, _she looks like a Sayian ready for battle _he thought as he heard her draw in a deep breath.

Calmly placing the coffee cup down on the island she rounded the kitchen to stand before the prince.

"It is my GR" She whispered menacingly "In my home, on my land, AND I WILL ALOW IT TO BE USED BY WHOMEVER I PLEASE! You on the other hand, are an ungrateful, arrogant, PRICK, who gets his kicks by being a FUCKING TEASE. One day you treat me like GOLD like I MATTER, and then the next I'm your SLAVE well I am SICK OF IT!" She said as she walked him back shoving him against the wall. "I don't know WHAT THE HELL crawled up your ass today to make you act like this BUT IT STOPS NOW! Because I DO know what crawled up mine, and if you think an OOZARU is SCARY you have no IDEA what happens to a HUMAN WOMAN ONCE A MONTH!" she shouted in his face. "You ain't SEEN scary yet little prince." She whispered with seductive horror in his ear.

Vegeta wrapped what little composure he could around himself and fled the room. Emotions ran rampant through him as he walked down the hall, shock, confusion, fear, arousal, and oddly respect. She had made it clear she was Queen of this castle, and the prince inside of him responded to that. _She may be human, but she's a human worthy of the Crown of the Sayians, _the though ran through his mind before he could analysis what exactly led to it.

He opened the door to the GR, the sudden drop in gravity causing the other two sayains to turn and look at him. Shock and fear still clear on his face he asked "Kakkarrot, what happens to human women once a month? Bulma said it is more frightening than the Oozaru, and if that's what I was seeing, I think she may be right. Is she going to shape shift?" he asked, rambling slightly.

Goku grew pale as he said, "Oh shit not P-M-S!"

The three Sayians sat in a circle on the floor in the now powered down GR, while Goku explained what little he knew about the horror.

"All I know is it's this thing woman go through once a month, and it only ends when they start bleeding from their um, lady parts" Goku said blushingly. "And if their pregnant it lasts the _whole time._"

"What lady parts?" Gohan asked eyes wide in fear.

"They don't have boy bits Gohan, they have something different called lady parts" Goku answered, unable to generate a more appropriate response.

"And they bleed!" Gohan replied in shock.

"Don't be ridiculous boy, it's more important to ask do they shape shift? How powerful do they become? How do you defeat them in combat?" Vegeta asked. "If they're bleeding then there must be a wound we can exploit." he said planning a tactical approach.

(Keep in mind Vegeta's childhood, I'm taking into account that he wouldn't have received the 'full talk' on Freiza's ship, and instead would have just been told where to put it and how to avoid pregnancy)

"They don't change shape, but here's the scary part. . . there is no wound!" Goku said in horror. "I've never really figured it all out, and Chichi won't tell me anything. They do become more violent, but not to the point where we have to have combat. The best thing to do is just to avoid them. The problem is usually a lot less if they have had sex though. That's probably why Bulma's PMS is so bad right now."

"Whats sex?" Gohan asked.

"Shut up boy there's more important things to worry about. If she receives sex will she change back?" Vegeta asked mildly hopeful that he held a cure.

"No, by the time they turn, it's already too late." Goku replied. "The only person who could tell us all the answers is Chichi, maybe if you asked her?"

"Is there a chance it's contagious? I couldn't possibly face two of them." Vegeta replied.

"No not like that, but Bulma told me once, that If women live together, it will start happening at the same time for all of them, even if it didn't before." Goku said, fear clear in his voice.

"Oh shit, it's some kind of witchcraft were up against, isn't it?" Vegeta said eyes widening.

"I think so, but they never share their secrets." Goku whispered, as if the women could somehow hear them.

In the kitchen

"Wow, I knew you PMS'd bad but that was AWSOME!" Chichi cheered after Vegeta fled to the GR.

"That'll teach him to cross me when it's my time of the month, dinners almost ready." She said as she peered in the oven.

"I'll set the table." Chichi replied. Completely oblivious to the frightened males telling horror stories a couple buildings away.


	18. finally

"OLD!" Bulma shouted at the breakfast table, "Who the hell are they calling OLD!" She stared in shock as she read the article in 'Celeb' Magazine.

"What the hell are you shouting about, woman." Vegeta grumbled as he stalked into the kitchen and fixed his coffee, he had found the drink disgusting at first but couldn't deny that it greatly improved his morning workout.

As he sat down with his plate of pancakes, piled high with bacon, Bulma said. "Yamcha did an interview for this magazine. He told them we had broken up, no that he 'dumped' me, because I was an old grouchy homebody who never wanted to go have fun. But the jokes on him, the article after that has pictures of that night we all went out a few weeks ago. Someone must have sold the magazine a shot of the two of us dancing. They're claiming I dumped him to upgrade, to the 'mysterious stranger'." She said smirking at the racy photos; she knew something would surface eventually from that night. "You made the tabloids 'Geta!" she said as she pushed the magazine towards him.

Vegeta looked down at the glossy photo as he ate, on principle he hated the media. But if it could make that weakling look like a fool, maybe he wouldn't blow up the magazine company after all. He smirked as his eyes traveled over the picture, they looked as if they were making love, he noted, aroused at the thought. "hn" was his only reply to her, as she took back the magazine to read the other articles.

Throughout the day and into the afternoon, the thought nagged at her. Her 30th birthday was last week; she was secretly glad everyone had appeared to forget. _But 30's not old_ she thought to herself with empty reassurance. _And I'm not really a homebody; it's just with the android thing and all we've all been extra busy preparing. On that note Yamcha should be training instead of running around with those floozies. _Lost in thought she dropped her soldering pen. After hitting her head on the desk picking it up, she considered taking a break for the day. _I'm not getting anywhere with this stuff anyway._ She thought.

On her way to her bedroom to change she saw Vegeta rooting around in the refrigerator for his dinner. "Hey, um, would you like to go out dancing with me again tonight, just the two of us?" she asked. "That magazine has got me thinking, and it would really shove it to Yamcha if we made a scene together."

At first Vegeta planned to decline, thinking only of his training and the distraction the woman provided. But at her mention of the human; nothing would give him more pleasure than torturing him a little more. Well, a good fight might, but other than Kakarrot there wasn't a fight to be had on this lousy peaceful planet. "Sure" he said over his shoulder.

"Great, I'll go get cleaned up!" Bulma said eagerly.

She insisted they go to the 'hottest nightclub' to be sure cameras would be present. On the ride over she made it clear. "Remember you have to act human, no funny stuff. And if Yamcha's there, which he might be, don't even _look _at him. It'll piss him off so much more to see us having a good time and not even noticing him. Oh, and you have to dance with me a lot for this to work." She said with a slight blush, truth was she was looking forward to spending the night in his arms.

"hmm" Vegeta muttered his agreement, he let his eyes roam over her as she drove. She wore a scarlet red slip dress; it could barely even be considered clothing. A transparent scarlet sheath brushed loosely over the dress, sparkling gold in the light, and hugging her curves.

As she encapsulated the car he inserted the earplugs again. They neared the door, and like she warned him, the cameras were out. They stopped and posed for a couple shots, but declined any questions, to maintain the 'mystery' she had called it. Bulma was shocked at how good Vegeta was with the paparazzi, despite there vulgar questions. He posed perfectly by her side, allowing her to hang on him slightly and holding her in suggestive embraces.

They entered the club, Vegeta once again grateful or the earplugs as he felt the beat of the music seep into his bones. _Why do humans feel the need to be so damn loud! _He thought in frustration, as he took the drink she offered him.

They made their way to the dance floor, and he watched as she swayed to the music. Running his hands over her hips, he pulled her close, and enjoyed the feeling of her body rubbing against him. He shifted his hands, trading the rough fabric of her dress for the smooth soft skin of her upper thighs, as he leaned his head down towards her. Listening to the sighing pant of her breath, it was easy to ignore the cameras and on lookers, when surrounded by her scent.

If Yamcha was there, she sure as hell couldn't tell. Once Vegeta pulled her against him it was as if the rest of the world didn't exist. She rubbed he soft curves against his hard body, running her hands over his shoulders and through his hair. She gave in completely to her lust and the rhythm of the music, as she ran her mouth over his bare shoulder and traced her lips on his jaw.

Vegeta pulled her into a deep kiss as they danced, enjoying the sweet tangy taste of her drink on her lips. He gripped her body harder thrusting his arousal against her, as he ran his lips and tongue over her neck.

Bulma's legs shook slightly under her at the sensation, her neck had always been sensitive, but this was the sweetest kind of torture. She gasped his name in his ear even as she forced her own lower body closer to him as she danced.

He could feel the dampness through her dress, he growled deeply in her ear. "I can't take this" He muttered as he pulled her out of the club_, damn the cameras, and damn that fool, I need this now_! He thought as he shoved her gently against the outside of the building continuing and deepening their lustful kiss as she raised her legs around his thighs. He vaguely remembered flashing, but could care less for once. He pulled back and watched as her lips moved some soft whisper. Realizing he couldn't hear her he ripped the ear plugs out. "What?" he said gruffly, as if his mind had trouble forming the words. He continued to lick and kiss her neck and jaw as she said.

"Take me home," she sighed, knowing she couldn't keep her hands off of him long enough to drive, "Oh, God I need you." She whispered in his ear.

"God has nothing to do with this," he said with a menacing smirk as he whisked her around a corner away from the cameras. Scooping her into his arms he took off, landing gently on the balcony to his room.


	19. gone?

A/N – I apologize if these chapters seem half-assed. I woke up after 3 hrs with the next four or so nagging me, and I can't to sleep until it's out on paper. I can't explain it but my mind won't let me relax until it's done.

Sometimes love sweeps you off your feet

And carries you off into the sunset

Sometimes love sweeps you off your feet

And leaves you knocked out cold on the floor

But hey, that's amore

(that quotes all me haha)

She woke to the sensation of the soft cotton sheet cooling suddenly against her left side. She had no trouble remember where she was, how she could forget a night like that. She stretched, relishing the sore throbbing between her legs and at the bite mark on her collar bone. She turned to see Vegeta on the balcony, watching the sun rise.

_It wasn't just sex though, was it? _He mused as he watched the yellow trace over the horizon. _I can't make her my mate, she's not even Sayain. Then again, no woman is anymore. That's why I swore off mating in the first place. She may act like it sometimes, when I irritate her enough, but when it comes down to it she's not Sayain, and this is not Home. _ He watched as the red glow of the sun filled the eastern sky. Moments later the sky faded to blue, and he pulled away from his reminiscing.

"Good morning," She said sleepily, as she the sheet around her and walked over towards him on the balcony. She wrapped her arms around his waist and asked, "Why is it that you always watch the sun rise and sun set?" as she laid her head against his firm arm.

Vegeta stared off at the red glowing sun on the horizon and said, "The sky on Vegeta-sie is. . . _was_ red. And for a moment, twice a day, this sky is too."

She tilted her head up for a kiss, to comfort him. But he broke her hold around him, forcing her to gather the sheet around herself as he said. "I need to go." And suddenly began rooting around in his dresser drawer. He pressed a button on a small remote, somewhere in the distance, the Pod leapt to life, floating out the lab and towards the compound.

Bulma, still groggy from sleep and sex, leaned against the wall unalarmed until she saw him pull out his old set of armor. "Where. . Where are you going?" she muttered fear seeping through her bones.

"Off this Damn rock and away from you! I can't take this Bullshit!" he shouted as he pulled on the white boots. And leapt out the window to where the pod awaited him. _I can't take this wretched planet any longer; I shouldn't have even stayed as long as I have. Screw ascending, I can handle Cooler on my own. That woman is nothing but a distraction that will get me killed. This whole fucking planet is one epically large distraction. What was I thinking fooling around here with that woman while my people went un-avenged!_ He scolded himself even as he saw Earth fade in the distance.

Bulma was left, leaning on the wall next to the balcony, alone. _Leaving, what the hell did he mean about all that? _She thought numbly even as she felt the cold hand of grief clutch her heart. It wasn't until she heard the pod take off that it really sunk in, _he's gone._ She thought as she clutched the blanket over herself and slumped down to the floor, curling her knees to her chest.

This was how Goku found her, when he teleported into the room. He had felt Vegetas ki suddenly gone, and feared the worse. Searching around the room, he was surprised to find no enemy. Only his dearest friend wearing nothing but a bed sheet and a catatonic stare.

"Where's Vegeta?" he asked confused.

"Gone, he's just . . . .gone." Bulma muttered in disbelief.

Goku took in the obvious scent of sex and Bulmas lack of clothing and figured they had spent the night together, _it doesn't make any sense_ he thought. "But why?" he asked

"I. . . I don't know, he just left" She said still in shock.

Goku searched for his friends Ki and found Vegeta safe and well, if not quite agitated, in space. With a sigh he wrapped the sheet securely around Bulma and carried her to the bed. She closed her eye with a tear, _maybe it's all a bad dream, I'll wake up, and he'll be next to me._ She thought even if she didn't believe it.

It was three days until she emerged from the room, weak with hunger and grief. She still couldn't understand why he left, not that he made any effort to explain it. At the first taste of food an extreme hunger over took her. She nearly cleared out the fridge in one go. She sat quietly at the table finishing the large meal, and watched as her mother peeked in the fridge to prepare dinner.

"Oh my, seems Mr. Vegetas back." Bunny said to herself noting that the fridge was now nearly empty.

"No hes not," Bulma replied quietly causing her mother to jump. "He's left the planet mom, he's never coming back." She said as she cleared her dishes, deadened look in her eyes.


	20. coping

Her friends sat by, and watched her grief, for days. Waiting for her to wake herself up out of it. This time was different though, for one she did not emerge herself in work, she didn't work at all. The only thing she did other than sleep was eat, a lot.

When days began turning to weeks Chichi was fed up, and as a last resort. *SLAP*. Chichi's hand left a faint pink mark across Bulma's cheek. "I am sick and tired of you moping around here! You will snap out of whatever the hell this is immediately! All you do is sleep, and eat! The world moves on just fine without that arrogant prick and so will you!"

"Umm ok" was Bulmas blank response at her friend's sudden outburst. Bulma turned her attention back to her sandwich, the third one this sitting.

"Good. And if that's the way you've been eating it's a wonder you aren't thirty pounds heavier by now." Chichi said.

"Yha its weird, I'm just so hungry all the time, but I've actually lost three pounds." She muttered with her mouth full of sandwich.

Chichi visibly paled at this news. "Umm you've been having your period right?" she said cautiously.

"Not this month, but mine skips because of stress all the time, unless there's a star in the east I don't worry about it." She replied.

"Oh, so you and Vegeta never . . ." Chichi said, relieved.

"We'll, just the once, but we used a condom." Bulma said blushing.

"Um, they don't work." Chichi replied, fear blatantly renewed on her face.

"What do you mean, of course they do." Bulma replied ignoring her hearts pounding at the thought.

"You've met my SON Gohan right? Trust me they don't work, they umm dissolve." Chichi said.

"What do you mean dissolve?" Bulma said in disbelief.

"I mean something about they're umm, stuff, dissolves the condom, that's why I'm on the pill." Chichi replied with false calm.

"You mean to tell me, that condoms are dissolved by this FREAKY ASS ALIEN SPUNK!" Bulma said, then she suddenly paled as she looked down at the sandwich in her hand. "Oh, God." She muttered "I've been eating enough for a Sayain, you don't think? No, It was just once, No." She said, fear now knocking her completely out of her grief based stupor.

"I think we should just go down to the grocery store and get a test," Chichi said in a 'talk them off the cliff' type of voice.

Bulma nodded blankly as she grabed her purse, and sandwich in hand, ran out to the car.

Bluma placed the pack of pregnancy tests down on the conveyer belt. Then a pack of skittles, a milkyway, followed by a fist full of slim jims. Chichi sighed as they waited and walked off. She returned with a roast chicken from the deli.

"Umm, good thinking, thanks." Bulma muttered when she saw the chicken.

"I'm probably the only person in the universe that can empathize with you at this point. Trust me protein is your new best friend." Chichi said, recalling her own pregnancy.

After paying for the test and food, Bulma dug into the slim jims, and piled into the car. "How did you manage, I mean you didn't even know it would be any different than a normal pregnancy?" she asked.

Chichi sent her an entertaining look and replied "We all knew Goku wasn't human, we didn't have a name to put to it, but I knew it would be different. Hell I didn't think I could actually get pregnant from him."

Bulma had almost reassured herself that it was just stressed by the time she entered the bathroom. Peeing on the stick was uncomfortable to say the least, but nothing compared to the torturous three minute wait. She sat on the bathroom floor, staring at the counter which held the device, refusing to look. Chichi sat watch over the stick from her perch on the side of the tub.

Finally, the alarm on Bulmas phone rang out, and Chichi looked at the digital screen on the stick.

"Umm" she said in shock, causing Bulma to rise next to her to see it for herself.

"It could be a mistake, that's why I got a multi pack, I'll try another." She said, with false hope despite the digital screen clearly reading 'Pregnant'

After the third test, all positive, the fact was too obvious to ignore. Bulma slumped back to the floor and leaned over the toilet as the nausea overtook her.

"Don't you dare puke!" Chichi shouted. "Trust me it will only make it worse, hold it in."

After the gaging sensation let up Bulma calmly rose to her feet and went into her closet. She pulled out a black wig, and her baggiest set of clothes.

"Where are you going?" Chichi asked at the womans bizarre reaction.

"To West City Clinic, I'm going to go sort this out. Come with me?" Bulma said calmly. She gave her friend a pleading look. "I could really use someone to hold my hand for this one."

"What, do you mean, are you getting an abortion?" Chichi said in shock.

"I'm not like you Chi, I can't handle this. And I won't have a good man like Goku by my side, I'll be alone, raising Vegeta's child. I can't do it, I just can't." Bulma said, shaking with fear. "I would be a crappy mom anyway, I'm too absorbed in my work, I would be neglectful. And _if_ Vegeta ever came back that prick would probably be downright abusive. No one deserves that kind of life Chi, please, come with me."

As much as Chichi was adamantly against it, and she let her friend know the whole way, she escorted her to the clinic.

"Hello miss, umm" the doctor said, stumbling over his words as he looked at the blank form. "Uh, what can I help you with?"

"I just found out I'm pregnant, I can't keep it." Bulma said, straight face firmly set to hide her fear.

"Well typically there is a three day wait period, we can make an appointment for you at the end of the week, it'll give you time to think." The doctor replied calmly.

"I need this handled now, and discreetly." Bulma as she slipped the money into the man's hand.

"Well, I can give you these, take them as directed." He said as he pulled a bottle of samples from the cupboard. "And it will take care of everything. I will warn you though; you will experience severe cramping, nausea, and bleeding from this. If you have trouble breathing, or a rash, go to the hospital immediately." He said as he ushered them from the room.

Once home, they read the bottle carefully. 'Take two tablets every two hours until the pack is complete.'

"Ugh," Bulma said. "I'm going to be up all night."

"I'll stay with you, just let me call Goku." She turned and dialed the phone. "Bulma and I are having a girls night tonight, I probably won't be home till morning. It's in the freezer Goku, honestly. Just ask Gohan to heat it up, he knows how to do it. I'll cya tommarow, I love you, bye." She said into the phone.

While she was on the phone Bulma was staring at the first two pills in her hand. _Can I? Should I? Do I really have a choice? Ugh, what if this is the only chance at motherhood I have? Can I really throw it all away? What if it turns out like its father, I can't risk that, and the universe can't handle another prick like that. _Forcing the racing thoughts from her mind she looked past the pills. Refusing to think about what she was doing, she swallowed them with a swig of tap water.

"There, done." She said as she felt the lump slide down her throat.

"alright, I set the alarm for another two hours, for your next dose." Chichi said, turning to leave the bathroom.

"UGH" Bulma grunted as her stomach turned. "Wow, um that was fast." She said. She stood up to leave the bathroom when an overwhelming wave of nausea hit her. Leaning over the toilet, praying she didn't throw the pills back up, she grunted again.

After the second wave of nausea she said "I think I'm going to be here awhile." Opening her mouth was a big mistake, as she up chucked her stomach contents. _Wow, I ate a lot _was her only coherent thought as she hugged the toilet. Soon she felt a cool wash cloth on the back of her neck, as another cramp began. In between vomiting spells, Chichi managed to pull back her hair into a knot, and wrap a head band to keep her hair from her face. The comfort of a close friend was appreciated, though Bulma didn't dare open her mouth again to say it. Finally after 8hrs, and 4 rounds of medication, the pack was finished. And Bulma gave in to the sweet comfort of sleep.

Chichi reached her own bed around 4am, curling her arm around Goku she woke him up as she shifted into bed.

"How was your night?" he asked sleepily.

"Crappy," she had decided on the way home, that there are some things she shouldn't and couldn't keep from her husband. She told him about the pregnancy test, oddly he didn't seem surprised. When she mentioned the abortion, however, he seemed truly horrified.

"But, Trunks!" Goku said sitting up in shock. "Oh my God, how did she, but, no?"

"What do you mean? Who's Trunks?" Chichi asked.

After hearing Goku's lengthy explanation, her only reply was "Oh, Shit."


	21. true love

Three days later

"I NEED CHICHI!" Bulma screamed into the phone between sobs.

"What's wrong, I'll fix it whatever it is." Goku said helplessly into the phone, heartbroken to hear his best friend so distraught.

"I can't tell *sob* you, it's a *sob* girl thing *sob* I NEED CHICHI!" Bulma cried into the receiver.

"Ok, hold on" Goku said, just before he hung up. He rushed towards his wife, who was taking laundry off the line, and teleported them both to Bulmas side instantly.

Chichi stumbled around the small bathroom in shock, still clutching the pillowcase from the clothes line.

"I MEANT ON THE PHONE, DUMBASS!" Bulma screamed when her friends appeared.

Chichi rushed to her side, kneeling next to her friend who was perched on the toilet, with the lid down. "What's wrong?" she asked pleadingly as her husband lingered in the doorway uselessly.

"It didn't work." Bulma sobbed.

"What didn't work?" Chichi asked, even as Bulma handed her the little stick, still dripping slightly with piss.

Chichi stared at the 'pregnant' sign in shock as Bulma shouted "Nothing can kill them!"

"What are you trying to kill?" Goku asked, finally seeing a way he could be of use and make her crying stop.

Bulma turned to her friend, rage and fear blatant on her face and shouted "SAYIANS! You're all fucking invincible! Why can't you just die?"

"you, you want me dead?" Goku asked quietly heartbroken.

"Not you! It! This! HIM!" she screamed as her thoughts turned to the bastard that left her in such a state.

"Honey," Chichi said turning to her husband. "We just need some time to talk, she's just really upset right now. Can you give us some privacy, please?"

Goku nodded and left the room to sit out in the hall, some small part of him wanted to hear this conversation. _It seems Trunks is going to be born after all. _He thought to himself.

"sweetie," Chichi said motherly as she pet Blumas hair. "Maybe this is a sign, maybe you were meant to have this baby." She said as she recalled what Goku had told her about Trunks.

"I can't" Bulma sobbed, "I can't do it anyway."

"Well, there are always other approaches then, they can do a surgical abortion." Chichi said dejectedly, but she remained supportive of her friend whatever that may mean.

"No that's what I mean." Bulma said as she wiped the tears from her face, "I can't do it, I just can't do that again." Chichi gave her a confused look as Bulma explained. "I've been having dreams, about this sweet little baby, with my eyes, and my hair and my _everything_. It's nothing like him. He's not coming back, and other than some really, really screwed up genetics, he's not going to make any impact on this child. It'll be mine, just mine, all mine. And Goku and Gohan proven that, with the right upbringing, Sayian children don't turn out bad. I don't know how I'll manage, but I'll find a way. I can't _not_ find a way. I thought I'd be a terrible mother, but I can learn, I can try. And I can love. And that's what a child needs most right?" she asked eyes pleading for some greater understanding on how to handle everything.

"Yha, that's the most important part. The rest you can learn." Chichi said reassuringly and relieved.

"I'll keep this baby safe," she said laying a hand on her still flat stomach. "And it's _sperm donor_ will have no further impact on it. With everyone else's help of course, I'll raise it right." Almost as an afterthought she added. "If anyone asks, don't tell them who the father is, I don't want him or his reputation affecting this baby in anyway."

"Good idea." Chichi said. "And you know what the first job of a good mother is? Good prenatal care. We need to get you in so we can get the baby checked out and make sure everything's going well."

Urging her friend from the toilet, they left to make the necessary phone calls. As Bulma emerged she was assaulted into a big but gentle hug.

"I'm so glad, B" Goku said to her as he hugged her. "He's going to be so awesome!"

"What makes you think it's a boy?" she asked.

With a not so sly glance to his wife he replied. "I just know these things."

The doctor's office was very upscale, and when Bulma Briefs requested an appointment, arrangements were made immediately. Goku and Chichi went with her, to show their encouragement. And for Chichi at least, to make sure Bulma mentioned the harsh medications the little guy had been subjected to.

With little more than a knowing glance from her friend Bulma said "I was working with some pretty harsh chemicals before I realized I was pregnant. Is there any way to tell if it did any damage?"

"Well it's still early for certain cognitive deficits to show, but any severe physical or neurological problems should be detectable by ultrasound." The doctor replied even as he lifted her shirt and squirted the cold jelly on her abdomen.

After a few minutes wiggling the wand about, he found the little 'blip' he was looking for. "Ah, there he is." He said to her.

"It's a he? I thought it would be too soon to tell." She said shocked to know Goku was right, she was having a son.

"No, you're at least 16 weeks along judging by the size here. I don't see anything too out of place. But I will tell you there is something _curious_ about this little guy. See here" he said circling some little shadow near the blip. "It seems there is a slight growth extending from the spinal cord, it's not presenting the way Spina Bifida would, so I don't want you to be worried. We'll just keep a close eye on it, and it will, most likely work itself out as he grows."

Despite the doctors reassurance Bulma paled as she thought _it's a tail._ After a few calming breaths to herself she thought, _I can just say it's a birth defect, like an extra finger or something. They'll take it off right at the hospital and no one will have to know. _She smiled slightly; proud of herself for handling it so well, _maybe I am growing up a bit. _

Bulma left with a smile on her face, and her first picture of her son in her wallet. As Chichi drove, she stared at the photo and thought, _you little man, are they only guy I need in my life, I love you with all my heart. You are my true love. _


	22. perparation

A/N- haha guys, love the reviews. It's not like he left a number for emergencies HE LEFT, as in off the planet gone no way to ever find him, _left_! And at this point you'll see he has no intention of going back. Vegeta has a lot of growing up to do as well, that's kind of the theme here.

Vegeta landed on the rock strewn nearly barren planet. Crawling from his pod he stretched out his arms, smirk already in place. _Now this is how a Sayian Prince is meant to live!_ He said to himself, eagerly awaiting the fight ahead. He surveyed the small satellite base as he walked down the narrow planks and through the gate.

"Refuel the pod, immediately." He said commandingly to the guard staring at him in blank shock.

"Sir, I-I need to see your identification a-and authorization before you can enter." The guard stammered.

"Identification? I am Prince Vegeta of the Sayians!" He said, leaning in as he glared as the taller being. "And my authorization is here." His hand began to glow softly with Ki even as he shoved it in the guards face, killing him instantly.

He then turned to the now gathering crowd of low ranking soldiers, "Refuel and restock the pod, NOW!" He shouted as he walked into the base. He walked through to the HQ of the tiny base; the PTO always used the same setup, so he knew where to go. Any who did so much as glance his way, were decimated in his wake. He kicked down the door and held the secretary up against the wall, relishing her fear.

"Where is Cooler?" He growled quietly at her.

Tears filled her cerulean eyes as she stammered, "I-I don't know, his base ship hasn't been seen in this quadrant in nearly a decade."

Her eyes caught his attention, but he wasn't seeing her. He was seeing another pair of light blue eyes, staring back at him with compassion and joy. The image faded and he saw the same blue eyes, filled with fear. _She would be devastated if she saw this. _The thought ran through his mind before he could control it. He dropped the woman and screamed his frustration, _she wouldn't understand! _

"Where can I find him?" Vegeta asked over his shoulder, staring at the doorway. He couldn't stand to look into those eyes.

"Last I heard, quadrant 57, but that was a long time ago. I-I don't know how accurate it is now." She said, sobbing as she dropped suddenly to the floor.

Without a word, Vegeta returned to his pod, noting the newly stocked supplies. Crawling in, he thought. _Killing him will keep them safe; he will go to earth with an army to avenge his father. Frezia he could care less about, but Cooler will avenge Cold. Avenging the Sayian race is my mission, but it will keep her safe as well. And why should I care what that wretched woman thinks of my actions, I'll never see her again regardless. _As his thoughts darkened so did the air around the pod, safely in space he turned to the tiny rock, inhabited solely by the base. He had come, prepared to destroy the base after reloading on supplies. Instead he simply continued his trajectory to quadrant 57. He refused to admit that it was mercy that stayed his hand, instead of laziness. He continued on his mission, knowing full well this was to be a suicide mission.

Thousands of miles away

Bulma sat with yet another maternity and infant health book on her lap, as she ate her second lunch. Chichi had told her, her stomach would be too small to hold everything she needed to eat and that she should take many human size meals instead, the advice was well appreciated. _A few more neonatology texts under my belt and I'll start on some child psychology ones. _She thought eagerly. Like anything stressful that she had ever faced, research always calmed her. She was determined to understand _everything_ and be the best mother she could be. Her stomach flipped as she turned the page and was faced with a direct view of a 'infant crowning'.

"Ugh!" she shouted even as she thought_ maybe I'll opt for a cesarean. _

"Everything ok hunny?" her mom asked.

Bulma instinctively hid the book under the table, then upon thinking on her act, decidedly pulled it out and placed it on the table. They were alone, and she would have to tell her sometime, so stealing her nerve.

"Mom, I'm Pregnant." Bulma said boldly.

"Obviously princess." Bunny replied rolling her eyes.

"Um, you-you knew?" Bulma asked rather shocked, running a hand to her abdomen. She didn't think she noted the slight firm bulge, that she had been covering with bulky clothing.

"Don't worry sweetie, you aren't showing much." She said soothingly as she noted the gesture. "But you are eating a lot more than usual, and you seem more tiered. It's only obvious to someone who knows what to look for."

"Does dad know?" Bulma asked.

"He suspects strongly, but I told him to wait for you to tell him before saying anything. I said 'she'll announce it when she's ready.'" Bunny said proud of her good advice. With a coy smile she leapt up and hugged her baffled daughter. "I'm so glad I'm going to have a little grandbaby to play with! And before you go worrying, you'll be a great mother. It doesn't all come naturally, like some people want you to think. But it isn't as hard as others make it out to be either. And you have plenty of women to help you find your way."

Bulma sighed with relief in her mother's arms; sometimes the ditzy woman knew just what to say. _I guess its women's intuition. _She thought, smiling at her own humor.


	23. trunks

As Bulma's 'bump' grew bigger, she spent more and more time at the Son house. As much help as her mother was, only Chichi knew what to really expect from this pregnancy. And, secretly, she was observing Gohan more and more, she wanted to know what to expect from her own son. This day she determinately dragged herself over to the little cottage, despite the severe nagging back ache. _This kid is just too big._ She thought as she carefully climbed from the hover car, massaging her lower back. She had gotten so large people often asked her how many babies she was having.

"Hey Bulma, we held breakfast for you, hurry up." Gohan yelled out impatiently from the window. The Son family had begun feeding her again when she visits. It was Gohan's idea originally, though you couldn't tell by his impatience. It served as a way to disguise her massive appetite to maintain the appearance of a human pregnancy. Bulma had been asked many times, from friends, family and the press alike, who the father was. She originally dodged the question, but lately settled on the concept of an unnamed sperm donor.

Bulma waddled her way to the table, and exhaustedly, plopped down and dug in. Chichi still smirked when she saw the three of them eating together. Bulma had surpassed Gohan, and was rivaling Goku today in the food race.

When the meal was finished, Chichi began to work on the dishes. Bulma rose to help her but was stopped when the younger woman said. "No, you look like you need to rest, just sit for a while."

Then Chichi went into the bathroom just as Bulma realized she had to pee as well. "Hey, Chi." Bulma shouted to her friend. "Hurry it up, I have to go."

When Chichi emerged, she held the door open for her friend. And Bulma said "Never mind, guess you went for me."

Gohan turned to his father and whispered. "They can do that?"

Goku replied, with a knowing look on his face. "It's a girl thing."

Ignoring the ridiculous exchange Bulma said to the woman. "I can't wait for this to be over, I've had this vicious back ache all day. I know it will be soon though" she said hopefully. "I dropped my mucous plug a couple days ago."

The rest of the household cringed at the graphic description; they were slowly becoming used to how disgusting Bulma could be when it came to biology.

"Ohh ohh, ok that hurt." Bulma said in shock as she bent in pain.

"Where does it hurt?" Chichi asked, rushing to her side. "And what does it feel like?"

"Like a cramp spreading from the sides to the front, I-I think we should head out." Bulma replied knowingly, she had studied childbirth thoroughly and _thought_ she was ready for this.

"Goku, get the car. Gohan, help her up and out to the car. Where is your go bag?" Chichi said, taking charge of the situation.

"In the blue capsule, I've got it. Let's just go."Bulma said as the massive cramp subsided. Gohan reached for her arm, and slowly helped her to rise from the chair. Upon standing, another contraction began, and a rush of fluids soaked the wood floor.

"Eww Bulma, you peed on me!" Gohan said in shock as he looked down at his soaked pants leg.

"That's not pee, son, her water broke. Goku, WE GOTTA GO NOW!" Chichi shouted as her husband scurried around the car opening the door for his friend.

Gohan shook his leg, as he helped Bulma into the back seat. When the woman laid down across the seat, he danced around the car, unsure of where to sit.

Adjusting the seat and mirrors of the hover car, Chichi saw her son's uncertainty and said. "Sit at her head, just put her head on your lap. Believe me you don't want to sit at the other end."

Once they all piled into the car Chichi drove them off towards East City hospital. After the contraction subsided, Bulma instructed Gohan how to time between the next one, knowing damn well they were less than 5 minutes apart. She pulled out her phone, notifying her doctor that she would be arriving there shortly.

The next contraction began, and Gohan glanced at the clock as instructed. Bulma cried out "Oh shit Chi! I think I feel him coming!"

"It's ok hunny, he's just dropped into position. When he crowns, you'll know." Chichi replied reassuringly.

"Umm what?" Goku said. "He has a crown?"

"No, the baby comes out head first; when you can see the top of its head it's called crowning." Chichi explained.

With a shocked glance back at his friend in the back seat he shouted "The baby _crawls_ out of her lady parts!" Goku then turned to the window, opened it, and tossed out his half-digested breakfast.

A look of shear horror crossed Gohan's face as he put two and two together. Sometimes being smarter than his father was a bad thing. He quietly asked his mother. "Mom . . .Did _I_ crawl out of _your _lady parts?"

With a roll of her eyes, Chichi replied. "Of course you did." Causing her son to lean out his own window and join his breakfast with his fathers on the side of the car.

As Goku encapsulated the car, Gohan was assigned the job of pushing Bulma into the maternity ward in a wheel chair. Chichi called the Briefs house, to inform them of the impending birth, and then joined her friend in the delivery room.

The doctor pulled his gloved hand from underneath the sheet draped across Bulmas thighs and said "You're at 9cms, and fully effaced. We're just going to get set up, and then you can start pushing."

"But-but, the epidural!" Bulma stammered in shock.

"Oh, it's too late for that, he's coming out now." The doctor said, as he called for the NICU nurses to prepare for the baby.

Bulma cried out a stream of obscenities, as she pushed. Chichi soothingly wiped the sweat from her friends face, and prayed. Before long the loud cry of baby Trunks was heard. Even as the nurses remarked on his good health, one added.

"Umm, He's perfectly healthy but, he seems to have a-ahh." She stammered unsure how to tell the woman.

"Yes, a tail, we know. Can you just remove it?" she asked.

"We can book the surgery for tomorrow" The doctor replied, handing little Trunks over to his mother.

Bulma looked down at the crying baby in her arms; a chill ran over her and tears filled her eyes as she realized. _This is what love is. _


	24. lost

A/N ok it's my first fight scene ever, so go easy on me. If you want more combat just use your imagination or watch a DBZ episode, they have plenty without my help.

* * *

><p>For months he traveled the galaxy, in search of Cooler. His days were filled with mental training for the fight ahead, and stops to question Coolers soldiers about his whereabouts. His nights were filled with thoughts of <em>her.<em> Whenever his subconscious took control, it would always remind him of the woman he left behind. His nightmares about his life under Freizas rule, the horrors he had seen and committed, were soon replaced by dreams of her and the one fabulous night they had together.

As the months drew on it seemed his heart had lost its will to fight, the hunt no longer thrilled him, or at least not as much as the thought of holding her again thrilled him. He fought against the thoughts of her during his waking periods, but occasionally before sleep his mind would wonder to her, and his hands would wonder on himself.

Finally he landed, and quickly detected the extraordinarily high ki of his chosen opponent. Keeping his own ki low, he hunted the plentiful game on this planet. He ate knowing he would need the energy for the fight ahead. A sense of dread filled him as he sunk his teeth into the raw meat, knowing it would be his last meal.

When he sensed Cooler was alone, away from his ship, he choose to attack. Keeping his ki low until he was practically upon the lizard, he raised it suddenly to strike without warning. The blast blew Cooler into the mountain beyond causing it to crumble.

"What the fuck!" Cooler shouted as he emerged from the rubble, flying at his opponent. Not even recognizing the person he was up against, Cooler attacked.

Fists and kicks flew past Vegeta as he dodged; snaking around his enemy he attempted to place him in a choke hold, only to find he had disappeared.

Cooler transformed quickly, to his second and only alternate form, and returned to the fight. His hits began landing solidly, and the Sayian raged at the taste of his own blood. Finally Cooler retreated back and hit Vegeta with a full Ki blast, screaming with rage.

When the dust and rubble settled Cooler looked down at his opponent. "Vegeta," he said in recognition. "I didn't expect to see you here. Well I didn't expect to see you anywhere." He laughed in a sinister wine.

"I am a Sayian, why would you think that a Prince would not avenge his people?" Vegeta asked, recovering his breath after gaging on his own blood.

"I guess Freiza spared you, he always did have a soft spot for you. Last I heard you had deserted and ran off to some wretched hole in the ground to lick your wounds. I'm surprised you survived its destruction, though I guess you dodged Vegeta-sie's obliteration so it's not that surprising."

"Destruction?" he asked, paling at the thought of Earth being turned into nothing but rubble. Still unable to move, Vegeta decided to urge him to continue talking, hoping he would be able to recover eventually.

"Yes, didn't you know?" Cooler said, relishing the tender wound he found in Vegeta psyche to exploit. "A whole team was sent out to ensure it was decimated. Freiza saw to it himself, said he was expecting some fun from a little group of entertaining weaklings. He said they had a beautiful female with them, with blue hair, you know how rare that is in this galaxy."

Cooler watched as Vegeta gaged at the mention of the woman, clearly distraught by the thought of her in harm's way he continued. "I'm sure she was already gone before the planet blew up though. You know how my brother likes to see them die beneath him. And seeing how fragile these _things_ were, surely he'd have given her another go, even after she died."

Vegeta forced himself to stand consumed by rage. He had been forced to watch Freiza 'enjoy himself' many times, and it was all too easy to picture him killing Bulma in the same way. Her beautiful azure eyes stared back at him, dead, in his mind, as he screamed out in rage. He felt the hate, the fear, the pain build up inside of him. But most of all was grief, and love. She was the only one he had ever felt the strange emotion for, and now she was dead.

A tingling chill ran through his bones, even as his skin boiled under the heat of his rising ki. Memories of her flooded his mind as his eyes flickered, black, and then teal, then black, finally settling on teal. Gold ran through his hair as it floated even higher above him. Finally he was a Super Sayian. And he could care less. All he could think about was her.

He cried out in rage as he flashed to Coolers side, his opponent still shocked by the sight of the Sayian making such a transformation. Vegeta grabbed Cooler around the shoulders. And with a blood curdling scream tore the lizards head clean off his shoulders.

His skin cooled as he felt the droplets of blood raining down on his skin. Slowly his hair became dark. His eyes turned to black and filled with tears. He was alive, but had nothing to live for. _If only I had stayed._ He thought as the regret filled him, and he had no one left to kill, or kill for.


	25. reality returns

A/N Cloud envy – glad you caught on to my 'lime aide'. It's not quite a lime, just the juicy bit.

Also note that Freiza was an invincible terror to Vegeta for so long, he has trouble truly accepting that such a creature could really be dead. And after having his head beat for a bit, he didn't give much thought to Coolers story. In actuality, Cooler was referring to Namiek, not Earth, all along.

* * *

><p>Vegeta survived, aimlessly. He finally reached the pinnacle of his existence, only to learn that it was lonely at the top. No one in this wretched galaxy even held a candle to him now, let alone posed a threat. As he experimented with his new found strength, blowing up uninhabited planets and moons, he thought back to his life on earth; how much fun a spar with Kakarrot would be now, the thrill that the threat of the Android's sent threw him. But the Earth was gone, and the androids would never exist to pose their threat. His mind was haunted by the thought of them gone, of <em>her <em>gone; tortured to death by the lizard which made his life hell practically from birth.

If only he had ascended before, he could have killed Frieza himself, instead . . . . wait. A thought broke his distraught musings. _That kid, the one from the future, he had killed Frieza._ _I saw it myself, he was dead, that kid didn't have Kakarrot's hang ups. He made sure Frieza was dead. _But then how? _Could it be that Cooler didn't know? He had never mentioned avenging his father or brother. _The Cold family was never terribly close; Freiza and Cooler had to be kept on different sides of the Galaxy so they wouldn't kill each other.

_Throughout the fight, he never said anything about it. What if he thinks they were successful? Or what if he was referring to Namiek instead of Earth? _As the thought ran through him he filled with hope, and then used every ounce of his will to stuff that hope back down. _I'll just go look for myself, but I can't let my expectations rise. They're dead to me, until I see otherwise. _

And so he stole a fully stocked pod from the nearest base, and made his way back to earth or what was left of it.

* * *

><p>"Oh my God! Why won't you sleep?" Bulma screamed in frustration as little Trunks cried out again. She had been trying everything, for hours, nothing shut this kid up. <em>You're just like your father, throwing a hissy fit over anything and everything!<em> She thought as she dragged her exhausted body into the nursery. Chichi had told her, warned her, but nothing could prepare her for a child who slept for only an hour or so at a time.

She pulled another bottle of premixed formula from the mini-fridge she had set up in the nursery, and set it in the bottle warmer as she reached for her son. He flailed against her, but she rocked him crooning regardless. Vegetas room had been cleared to make way for the nursery. Where once was his dresser, a changing table stood. His bed replaced by the massive crib. She held the first bottle to her son, and set the second in the warmer. It had only been 10 weeks, and Trunks had already learned how to hold his own bottle and sit up, eager to eat as much as possible. He was also already the size of an 8 month old, baffling his pediatrician.

She sat in the rocker, holding him as he drank, and began to nod off in exhaustion. Her eyes were just starting to close when Trunks threw the empty bottle at her, ready for the second. He glared at her, and she could swear she heard Vegetas voice _'I require food!'_ coming from her son. Rubbing the sore spot on her forehead she rose to get the next, nearly laughing at the thought that little Trunks's temper tantrums were so much like his fathers.

She sat back down with her son and the second bottle. She didn't even bat and eye when the earth shook violently, and a blast of light filled the window from somewhere in the distance. Instead she thought, _What the hell are they doing out there training this time of night. They need to keep it away from my house. If they wake Trunks doing shit like that I will personally kill them in their sleep._

* * *

><p>Goku awoke suddenly, as the shock from the incredibly high ki ran through him. Being extra quiet to not wake his wife, he began pulling the orange gi pants on.<p>

"Dad!" Gohan shouted from the other room. Causing Goku to wince and look over at Chichi's sleeping form. _Thank God she's a deep sleeper. _He thought.

He raced from the room, top in hand to see his son wearing the blue armor Vegeta gave him. "I know, let's go." He whispered, as they headed out the door to great the unexpected visitor.

They waited over the hill from the landing site for the others to arrive. The _thing_ had yet to emerge, but they could already tell its Ki was epically high; so high, and yet so _familiar. _The group gathered, and approached the pod, Goku taking point with Piccalo flanking him. They had been working together on these techniques for quite some time, to perfect their teamwork.

Slowly through the fog, the figure emerged. _"VEGETA!"_ everyone shouted in shock as they fell to the ground.

"Wow, you had us scared for a second there." Goku said, laughing. "You're power has really grown."

"No shit Kakarrot, I'm a Super Sayian now. Is everything ok here?" Vegeta asked.

"Congratulations. Umm yha, why wouldn't it be?" Goku replied, confused.

"I heard a rumor that there was trouble on this planet, and came to check it out." Vegeta grumbled, ashamed to show his concern to his rival.

"Nope, everything's been real calm." Goku replied even as Yamcha shoved forward.

"Where the hell have you been?" The human shouted. "You know what, doesn't matter, get back in the pod and leave now! We don't need you here, leave!"

"Actually, we could use the help with -" Goku said even as Yamcha interrupted.

"NO! This bullshit ends now, he doesn't belong here. No one wants him here!" he shouted.

Seeing the opportunity, Vegeta chose to exploit the man's emotional weakness. "I can think of one person who would very much _want _me here. She would be devastated if I left before paying her a _visit_."

"Actually, she fucking hates you." Yamcha said smugly. "She's was over whatever the hell you guys had the day you left. She even said so. It's not like it ever meant anything to her, it was just _pity sex._"

Vegeta blushed with anger and shame; Yamcha's words had hit the mark and undermined his oddly fragile confidence. "We'll see what she has to say." He replied as he transformed, and took off at a speed Yamcha could never hope to match, headed for Capsule Corp.

* * *

><p>He let the power slip, darkening his hair and eyes back to black as he descended. He flew down silently towards her window, touching down on the balcony. With a jerk of his wrist and a small ki blast he broke through the lock and slid the door open.<p>

He turned to the bed, moonlight streaking through the curtain to rest on the soft white sheets. And saw . . . nothing. She wasn't there. Unable to detect her microscopic ki he thought_ she must have fallen asleep in the lab. _He levitated slightly off the floor and descended, eagerly awaiting the surprised joy on her face when she sees he had returned.

He sighed when he saw the empty lab, unable to find her he decided to get some rest; _she'll still be surprised to see me at breakfast in the morning. _He thought with a smirk.

He quietly rose back to his room and eased the door open. He stopped in the door jam, shocked at the sight before him. There she was, asleep, holding _a baby._ Vegetas mind shot back to what the weakling human had said, his only thought as he flew out her still open balcony in search of the man was; _I'M GOING TO CASTRATE THAT FOOL!_


	26. miscomunications

A/N – sorry for the crappy dialog, I ran out of decent insults.

No hates as pure as love perverted

To a plum rotted black a hearts converted

Sweet juice drip drizzles from lips stained red

So too drips sorrow from words unsaid

As pieces of passion lay torn asunder

So pain is buried within and under

No matter which method we may employ

Love may be altered, but never destroyed

* * *

><p>He was unable to find the weakling, his ki too low to detect from this distance, so he waited. He watched for when the fool would show up, and took to the mountains which bordered the compound. He was unable to sleep, instead he watched them. Every couple of hours the infants ki would raise sharply, higher even than its fathers, and the woman would go to its room and tend to the welp. He had re-lived their night together in his mind a thousand times, but never did he consider what lead to it. The whole point to them going to that club was to attract attention, and make the fool upset. Had she really just been using him? It seemed to work; there she was holding that piece of shit's child.<p>

Yet the 'man' in question never arrived. He thought back to when he was inside the home, he never smelled him there. If he lived there his scent would be all over the place, and her room. No, it was clear he wasn't living there. Had they fought again, had he mistreated her and left her again, leaving behind the child as well. _What kind of God awful creature would abandon his woman and offspring in such a way!_ Vegeta thought with rage as he crumbled the rock held within his hand.

_Serves her right though, using me to attract that worm back. Doesn't she realize I am the better choice for a mate? I'm stronger by far, and more intelligent, I'm a FUCKING PRINCE!_ He thought enraged. _Everyone knows you chose the strongest and the smartest for your mate, that's the point to being an elite Sayian. _He paused at his mental statement. _But she's not a Sayian. _Suddenly his rage deflated into grief, of his lost race, and lost love.

* * *

><p>Bulma felt his eyes on her throughout the night, making her paranoid and jumpy. As the morning came her heart nearly leapt from her throat when the phone rang.<p>

"Hello." She responded, allowing the exhaustion in her voice chime through.

"Hey, so how did it go?" Goku asked on the other end.

"How did what go?" Bluma asked, confused.

"He didn't go to see you?" Goku continued.

"Who didn't come to see me? I didn't get any visitors Goku, is there someone I should expect?" She asked now completely lost.

"Hmm, just come here and hang out with us for the day. Chichi said something about wanting to play with Trunks and you sound like you could use the sleep." Goku replied.

"How about you just tell me what's up with all the weird questions, then I'll come by." Bluma said frustrated.

"I'll tell you when you get here." Goku said seriously, before hanging up on his friend. He knew she could talk him into telling her everything if he stayed on the phone.

He watched as she expanded her hover car from the capsule, and loaded the child into its seat. Then she loaded two large bags into the car before departing. He had hoped to confront her, but something stopped him. Instead he simply relished seeing her again, alive and well. As she took off he trailed behind carefully, the rage filling his heart once more.

As Goku saw her land he leapt from the house embracing her in a hug and, not so subtly, dragging her into the house. She struggled from the hug, and said. "Nice to see you too buddy, but let me get my son out of the car."

"Gohan, get Trunks." The Sayain said as he continued to pull her towards the house.

"And the bags too please." Bulma shouted over her shoulder as she let her friend drag her indoors.

"What the hell's gotten into you?" She asked as Gohan hurridly relayed first her baby then their belongings into the house.

"Go wait outside, he's almost here." Goku said to his son; eyes already on the falsely lowered ki nearby.

"Who's almost here?" Bulma asked thoroughly confused.

"I was hoping to tell you this more carefully but he won't give us enough time, Vegetas back." Goku replied, slightly frantic.

"Woopdie freakin doo." She replied sarcasticly. "If he thinks he can just waltz back into my life like nothing happened he has another thing coming."

"That's not it though," Goku replied feeling Vegeta grow closer, he was only one mountain away and surely knew where she was going in this area. "He landed last night, Yamcha said some really mean things to him, and he ran off to go see you. I thought he had already talked to you. I'm just worried how he's going to take everything. And he's real strong now, he's a Super Sayain, I don't know if I can take him anymore."

Bulma paled slightly at the last statement. Settling her sleeping son, still in his car seat, against the sofa; she stood and said "you don't have to; I'll take him this time." Anger turning her eyes from cerulean to teal, if it wasn't for the pupils, shed look like a Super Sayian herself.

Goku turned to the door, as he heard Vegeta say to his son "Out of my way Kakabrat!" Vegetas smirk grew as he silently praised himself for the new hilarious name he developed for the boy.

Over the child's shoulder he yelled. "WOMAN! GET OUT HERE! QUIT HIDING BEHIND THAT THIRD CLASS IDIOT AND HIS WEAKLING OFFSPRING!"

"Who'd want to hide from a piece of shit like you?" Bulma replied, emerging from the house to face him.

"That poor excuse for a sentient being mate of yours for one? Apparently, only functioning head that freak has is hanging between his legs. Notice the pea-brained cunt didn't come home to you last night? Or does he usually not come home; no doubt he's found someone better by now." Vegeta said scathingly.

"What the hell are you talking about? No, don't answer that, it doesn't matter. Why the hell are you even here?" She asked as she screamed at him.

"I came here looking for you! And I find you holding his SPAWN! Where the hell are you hiding the runt? I already saw it, what kind of inbread whores son has genetics so weak his own child doesn't even look like him? Everything about that shit eating worm is weak! How could you pick him for a mate?" Vegeta yelled in retaliation.

"I don't know, I think Trunks looks loads like his father . . . when he takes a shit!" she shouted back, smiling at the fact that Vegeta had unintentionally insulted himself.

"See even you have no respect for the clown, and you're his MATE" Vegeta yelled as he stalked closer to her, purposefully covering her in his spit.

"Your right," Bulma said quietly, with the false calm that indicates she has finally reached the breaking point. "I have no respect for his father; he left, when we needed him the most. As far as I'm concerned Trunks has no father, just me. And I'm all he needs. You remember that."

"See the fool couldn't even stay loyal to you after you bore his child. You should have chosen better you weak willed slut!" Vegeta screamed as he paced around the small yard in front of the cabin. He was too angry to stand still any longer, so angry he was worried he would hurt her. He needed to move, to fight, and to get rid of some of the rage building within him.

"I don't know what the hell you did after you left, it's not like I could get ahold of you. To tell you this, to make you come back! I'm weak willed, hmph, you're a FUCKING COWARD. All this talk about pride and honor is BULLSHIT. You spend your whole life fighting, but when something worth fighting for comes along, you run. And you leave me to clean up the mess, caring for a child alone! How could you do this to me Vegeta?" she asked finally broken, pleading to understand why he would abandon her.

"Yha you missed me so much it sent you right into that waste of flesh's arms." Vegeta replied sarcasticly, looking off over the mountain. He couldn't stand to see her so hurt, even if he knew it must be an act. "And look where it got you, why would you want him anyway, he's worthless."

"Want who Vegeta?" She asked sobbing. "Who the hell are you talking about?"

"Yamcha! The runt's father! Your mate!" He shouted at her.

"You're his father." She sobbed, so quite it was barely a whisper.

"That's impossible, were different species." Vegeta said to her, attempting a reasonable tone.

"Umm hi?" Gohan said waving from the door way, the Son family had been out sitting on the sidelines to watch the whole exchange.

"Shut up Kaka . . brat?" Vegeta said looking over at Gohan, then to the boy's father and mother. Realization hit him. They were compatible species . . . _shit_.

"Hmph, still, the creature doesn't even look Sayian. You can't pass this one off on me; Sayian genetics are stronger than that. I'm a fucking Prince, the result of the ultimate breeding for countless generations. Are you saying that all that lead to an infant with PURPLE HAIR! HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A TAIL!" he shouted, reassured that there's no way the child could be his.

"It's not my fault your 'elite race' was fucking INBREAD! And he's is yours, I hadn't been with anyone before, and I haven't been with anyone since! And FYI he did have a tail! You can't imagine explaining that to a pediatrician. It's a hell of a birth defect!"

His heart floated for a half a beat when he heard she hadn't been with another, and sunk through his shoes when he heard the end of her statement.

"Defect?" he asked menacingly. "He _did_ have a tail. As in no longer? As in you . . . . REMOVED IT!_" _

"Of course." She said. "I couldn't have _another_ giant raging monkey running around this planet. Your bad enough already."

The realization hit him; he was a father, which means . . . "How could I be cursed with such a dim-witted useless lump for a mate?" He asked the heavens above.

"Mate?" she asked in response.

"Yes, you've born my child, which means you are my mate. Like it or not were stuck together _forever."_ Vegeta said darkly.


	27. drama

A/N – I pre-apologies for all the people I upset towards the end of this chapter. It's a Biological plot hole I can't ignore. So I'm offering an explanation at the end. If you don't believe me look it up, but remember I'm a 'Bulma of Biology' I know these things.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck do you mean forever?" Bulma asked in shock.<p>

"Once a Sayain produces offspring they are mated, they are unable to desire another, and the loss of a mate is the most devastating wound." Vegeta muttered coldly, _that explains a lot, I was mated to her and didn't even know it. No wonder I couldn't stop thinking about her. _

"Well guess it's a good thing I'm not a Sayain." She replied smugly.

"What is that supposed to mean exactly?" Vegeta asked menacingly.

"It means, dumbass, that I am a happily single woman. And I can desire who ever I want." She responded, glaring at him.

"Like hell you can, anyone touches my mate and I'll kill them. Kakarrots lucky I'm grateful for him watching over you or I would challenge him now. His scent is all over you." Vegeta replied, glaring at his young rival.

"He HUGED me! And you don't own me you arrogant prick! You _left_ me and now you have to live with that." Bulma said turning to go into the house. Her mommy spider senses were tingling, she knew Trunks would wake up wanting a bottle any minute now.

"Don't walk away from me woman! You think I like the thought of being stuck with you for a mate? What ever happened to that stupid thing you made me wear on my dick? Huh, you said 'just in case, wear it'," He shouted at her back, his impression of her voice was not half bad.

She turned to glare at him as she set up the bottle warmer and mixed the formula, and replied "YOUR DEMON ALIEN SPUNK DISOLVED IT!" loud enough that it scared the bird from the tree and woke up her son.

"Dissolved it?" he asked, confused.

Bulma sighed and lifted Trunks from the seat, bouncing him slightly and muttered "It's almost ready hunny shh shhh its ok" to the child.

"Shut the kid up!" Vegeta ordered.

"He's just hungry, babies cry, get over it." She said to him as she danced around the room with the child.

"So put him to breast and get it over with, or you could just wait until he starves to death." Vegeta replied sarcastically.

"Breastfeed? Me? Oh no-no-no no no!" She said shocked. "This kid _came out _with teeth, there's no way in hell I'm putting my nipple in that death trap."

"It's ready!" Chichi shouted, tossing Bulma the first bottle as she slipped the second in the warmer.

"Thanks Chi! Here you go hunny." She cooded as Trunks grasped the bottle, and began chugging.

Suddenly Vegeta knocked it from his son's hand, causing little Trunks to give his father a 'Vegeta like' angry glare before screaming his head off.

"What the hell, is that poison?" Vegeta shouted over the cries. "I won't have you feeding my heir that! Put him to breast woman and feed him right you lazy wretch."

"Fuck you!" Bulma shouted as she retrieved the bottle. "It's fucking formula! I've been feeding him this since day one and he's doing just fine! I wouldn't breast feed this kid anyway; it's a great way to lose a boob! You haven't seen what he's done to the bottles, I have!" She said as she put the bottle back into the child's mouth.

"Breastfeeding wouldn't work anyway, I tried it with Gohan. Human women just don't produce enough milk for a Sayian child. Trunks is already eating 6 times the amount a normal baby would." Chichi said calmly, massaging her temples. _If they plan to keep this shouting up they need to take it outside this cottage can't handle that much drama. _

"What is this shit anyway?" Vegeta asked snatching the second bottle from the warmer. "Ugh, it tastes like vomit!" he shouted after sucking from the bottle, earning him a disgruntled growl from his son.

Seeing Vegeta drinking from a bottle sent the rest of the house into a fit of laughter. Bulma laughed so hard she had tears in her eyes, it was so funny she was unable to remember why she was mad in the first place.

"It's a powder, when mixed with water it's exactly the same as breast milk. And I can mix up as much of it as Trunks will need." Bulma replied, reminded slightly of what she saw in the Sayian over a year ago.

The fight finally burnt out from the two of them, the adults sat down at the table. Seeing them calm down, Gohan chose to head off to his room to play his new video game.

After a few moments of silence Vegeta said "Dissolved huh?"

"Yha, apparently it's quite the issue with Sayian semen." Bulma said, nodding her head to Gohan as he retreated to his room.

"That reminds me, I need to have that _talk _with him. He's going to need to know that this little mishap could happen to him some day." Chichi said solemly.

"What talk?" Goku asked, earning him a glance from everyone in the room, but no explanation.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Chi." Bulma said as she looked down at her happy child still chugging on his second bottle. "It won't be a problem for him." She sighed.

"Why not?" Chichi asked

"We'll were clearly of the genus or we couldn't procreate at all." She said solemnly. "But there is no way we're the same species."

"Duh" Vegeta added, rolling his eyes.

"Well, smarty pants, when you breed two animals that are from the same genus but different species the offspring is infertile." She replied.

"What? Are you sure?" Asked a shocked Chichi, already becoming heartbroken at the concept that she'll never have grandchildren.

"The Chromosomes don't line up right, Trunks and Gohan are fine though. It's just that the DNA can't split properly to create a zygote." She replied earning her a confused look from her friends. "They can't make sperm cells." She reiterated, noting that at least Chichi understood what she was saying.

"Wanna try again, it's clear Kakarrot doesn't know what the hell your on about." Vegeta said, trying to cover for his own lack of knowledge.

"They shoot blanks." She said glaring at the man beside her. "It's how they breed Mules from a Donkey and a Horse. Mules are infertile causing them to be more docile." She added.

The news that they would never become Grandparents sunk in, and put a damper on the day. For the most part the drama was settled. As Bulma packed the bags and her now sleeping infant over her shoulder she added. "There are more spare rooms at Capsule corp. if you need one" To the man lingering behind.

"Hn" Vegeta replied, unsure where they should go from here.

Goku came up next to him as Vegeta watched her take off for home.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now, Kakarrot?" He asked.

"I don't know, try to make it work I guess." Goku replied shrugging.

"Think she's still mad at me?" Vegeta muttered as he stared off into the woods.

"If she is just make her not mad." Goku replied simply.

"You make it sound so easy, it seems all we do in infuriate each other." The shorter man responded.

"It is, you did it earlier. You just do something stupid to make them laugh, and then they forget why they were angry in the first place." Goku replied sagely.

"Wha-. . . Is that why you?" Vegeta stumbled over his words in shock. _Is he just pretending to be an idiot?_ He thought to himself. Finally settling on a knowing smirk, he nodded to the taller Sayain, and took off for home.

* * *

><p>Maybe Goku's a 'Genius in Disguise' he seems to understand women a bit at least. Sorry for the DBZ GT let down guys, but Pan is either adopted or Vadel had some drama of her own. I wish it wasn't true, Gohans a sweetie.<p> 


	28. baby blues

Though Vegeta had returned to Capsule corp. the only evidence was the ever present hum of the GR, and Bunnys constant grocery deliveries. He may have claimed to be her mate, but when it came to being in a relationship, let alone being a father, Vegeta couldn't give two shits. His focus was dedicated to training and training alone, just because he was a Super Sayian did not mean he was the best. Goku had years of experience fighting in this form, the only way Vegeta would catch up is by training with the diligence that Goku could never show.

_Kakkarot is always slacking off, it will be his downfall. How he ever ascended is beyond me. I am the best . . . I will win . . . Nothing can defeat me._ Vegeta chanted in his head with each pushup. The GR was cranked up to 500G, five times Gokus max, soon to be more.

He knew he would be able to best the other Sayian, in everything. So when he sensed the all too familiar ki suddenly appear in the main house, he smirked at the image of the other man laying beaten and defeated before him. Toweling off, he went to issue the challenge.

"KAKKAROT! GR is this way you half-wit!" he shouted out as he marched through the hall, and down the small flight of stairs to the living room.

"Not happening Vegeta! He's all mine tonight." Bulma shouted a cheerful reply as she leapt into her best friends arms, ruffling his hair.

The show of affection wiped the smirk off of Vegetas face, leaving in its wake a menacing growl. "Get the hell off my mate. If I find you on her again I will kill you."

Goku dropped Bulma and stepped away quickly at the threat. He knew how he would feel if he walked in on Chichi hugging another man, and no doubt Vegeta would happily follow through with the threat.

"Goku would kick your ass and you know it. Besides it was just a hug." She said. "And FYI he doesn't spar or fight so soon before a tournament, its bad luck, you shouldn't either."

"What bullshit." Vegeta muttered.

"Actually, it really helps." Goku said. "When I finally do get to fight, it's like the urge to fight has built up to a breaking point. It makes the fight a lot more enjoyable, and gives you more of a competitive edge. You havta stay busy though, if you get bored it will just irritate you."

"That's why we decided to hang out, and go dragon ball hunting." Bulma added. "Besides, we may end up needing them. And it'll be like old times, hanging out, camping, adventuring!" she turned to Goku and added, "Got all you'll need?"

"Why bother, you always over pack anyway?" He replied smirking. "I have everything I need right here." He said pointing at his forehead.

Bulma reached up and moved his finger to point at his bicep, "That's your strong suit hunny, leave the rest to me. Couse I have all this," she said pointing to her own forehead, "and plenty of this" Pointing to her rear end as she swayed towards the hall. "And that's my _asset."_ She laughed as she ran off to grab her phone and order some pizzas.

Vegeta growled again staring at Goku, as he stared at Bulmas shaking rear end. "Mine." He stated.

"Yha I know good view though huh?" Goku joked, and then noticed Vegeta was still growling. "I'm a happily married man; besides Bulma and I . . . it would just be weird ok. No way would anything, ever, for any reason happen like that . . . ick."

Turning from the irritated Sayain, Goku went over to the play pen to see that Trunks had been quietly observing them all. He plucked up the child, with ease, and held him high as the kid giggled at him.

Vegeta claimed a seat on the couch, as jealousy set in, his cub was enjoying Kakkarots ridiculous faces too much. "What are you doing to my cub?" He asked scathingly. "Quit torturing him with your ugly mug."

Goku ignored the insult and replied, "Oh were just playing, here hold him a sec." he said tossing the child into Vegetas lap before he had time to object.

The prince held the child out, at arm's length, and stared at him questioningly. He was struck by the fact that, this is the first time he held a cub. There weren't any on Frezias ships. And the only ones he had seen were when he was on purges, or during diplomatic trips. _This is my own son,_ he thought irritated. _Isn't there supposed to be an instinct with this? If that fool can figure out how to hold him than so can I!_

Vegeta was unaware that he growled quietly as he thought this, but Trunks responded all the same. Squirming in his hands discomfort clear on his face. _What am I doing wrong? I'm his father, he should respect me. _He said nervously looking at the child, as he placed him sitting on his knee.

"Everything ok?" Goku asked as he plopped down beside Vegeta.

"Of course, I'm his father, it's instinctual." Vegeta replied smugly.

Goku laughed as he replied. "Yha right, I wish. I didn't hold Gohan for the first couple months, I was so scared I would crush him or drop him or something."

"I am not nearly as idiotic and careless as you . . . why is he looking at me like that?" Vegeta asked turning his head to the side in curiosity.

Goku leaned over the other man's shoulder and replied laughingly "Oh. . . . hehe he does look like you when he does that huh."

"does wha- !" Vegeta attemped to ask, though his question was answered by a warm moist plop on his knee, the diaper suddenly heavy and sodden. He took a deep calming breath, and gagged a bit on the smell. Then he calmly added. "I believe the cub just shat on me."

Goku faceplamed, and laughed as he rose from the couch. "I got it, just hold on." He began to gather the necessary supplies from the corner.

Vegeta made an inquisitive face, wondering exactly how the other man planned to _get it_ when the shit was clearly in the package around the cub. He watched as Goku laid out the supplies, then took the child from him. He cooed and tickled even as he unfastened the diaper. And though the wipes were cold, Trunks continued to giggle through the whole ordeal.

Just as he was applying the powder and fastening the fresh diaper Bulma returned. "I ordered 10 cheese and 10 pepperoni, think that'll be enough for you guys?" she chimed as she turned into the room. "Oh, Goku, thank you. You didn't have to, I would have." She stammered at the sight of someone else doing a diaper change for her.

"It's all good, I kinda miss when Gohan was little like this. All done cuttie!" He chimed as he tossed the child gently into the air. "Here yha go, all clean" he said as he handed the infant back to Vegeta. His shocked eyes met her own; she had never seen him hold his son before.


	29. pissed onoff

Aww they've come a long way from the pouting little spoiled brats these two once were. . . no maybe not a _long way._ But I'm still impressed by their willingness to grow up, despite having the wrong motives.

* * *

><p><em>How is it that this stupid third class piece of shit manages to upstage me in everything? <em>Vegeta asked himself as he handed the cub over to his mate. _Even now shes all gaga about him removing the shit, it was just shit, any idiot could have done that. _

Bulma took her son and said "You get first pick Goku, make it good." She set the spare bottles on the coffee table as she curled up on the opposite side of the couch holding her son, the first warm bottle in hand. _I can't believe he even noticed his son, let alone held him. He's been avoiding us for weeks and now he's sitting on the sofa like it's his spot or something. This is so twilight zone. _She mused as she watched Goku squat in front of the DVD collection.

Vegeta watched his mate as she watched the other Sayain, growling under his breath as he saw curiosity clearly flit across her face. "When are we leaving for the Dragon Balls?" he asked gruffly.

"_We?_ Um Goku and I are leaving first thing in the morning; it's why he's staying here tonight, so we can get an early start. I don't recall inviting you to tag along." She replied cattily.

Before Vegeta could generate a worthy malicious reply Goku said. "Don't be silly B, the more the merrier. Besides it's a great way to show him around the planet, and we could all use a little R&R before the androids get here."

"I don't think the 'the more the merrier' theory really applies when related to Vegeta. But fine, if you want to come, come." She said grudgingly as she leaned forward for the second bottle.

Goku placed the movie into the DVD player, and headed towards the center of the couch, the only spot still available. Bulma squealed, jostling the bottle from Trunk's mouth when she saw Vegeta suddenly appear in the center of the couch, almost on top of her. The angered prince growled at the other man, and Goku begrudgingly sat on the far side instead.

_What the hell was that about? _She thought to herself as she shifted the bottle back into the crying infants mouth; repositioning her feet so she was no longer touching Vegetas surprisingly warm thigh. The warmth was surprising because he was still wearing his lycra training shorts, and nothing else. Even such an innocent touch caused her to blush at the contact.

Vegeta and Goku could both smell the sudden, yet subtle, scent of her lust. Goku pulled away, nearly tipping the couch, as Vegeta snarled baring his teeth at the younger man.

"Knock it off, quit the posturing!" Bulma said as she tapped the top of Vegeta's fluffy head with the remote, then she turned to hit play.

They turned to watch the movie, as Trunks began to sleep in her arms. Goku had picked something he knew both he and Bulma would enjoy, he hadn't the faintest what kind of movie Vegeta would like. He felt like he hit gold when the found _Red_ in the stack of DVDs. A good action/comedy is hard to come by. Looking at the other man's face he realized, as an afterthought, that it probably didn't have enough gore in it, Vegeta looked bored to tears.

Half way through the movie, Bulma grew tired of the numb tingles in her arm. _"_Time for you to get to bed little buddy." She chimed quietly to the baby. "You got a wet one too huh, well get that handled."

Vegeta watched as she placed the sleeping infant down on the floor and gathered the diaper and wipes. Recalling how excited she was when Kakkarot did such a simple task he figured. _If that idiot can do it, I can do it better. _He kneeled down next to her and unfastened the Velcro.

Shocked Bulma stepped back, and returned her seat on the couch. The movie was ignored by everyone in the room; the real show was Vegeta doing something so _fatherly_ and _domestic._ They watched as he folded down the top, and turned to the next diaper. Clearly he was unsure of how to place everything but he would be damned if he was going to ask either of them how to perform the simple task.

He turned back to his son, bare to the world, holding the new diaper. As the cold air hit the sleeping infant, he woke up, and his bladder contracted. A thick stream of warm piss shot forth, striking his father right on his bare chest. Baby Trunks giggled at the sight.

Fear ran through Bulma and Goku at the sight, they both recalled Vegeta had killed others for the slightest perceived insult. But somehow the fact that this was his one and only heir calmed Vegeta. He took a breath as the stream died down, rose from the floor and went to the shower.

As Bulma fastened the fresh diaper onto her son, she held him and whispered. "You're lucky daddy didn't kill you for that one little guy." As she took him upstairs for the night.

After rocking him back to sleep, and placing her son in the crib. Sheturned donw the hall and listened in at Vegeta's door, trying to determine if he was still mad. She thought she was being stealthy until he said. "Woman I know your there."

"I'm sorry he did that," she replied leaning her head against the door. "It's just because he was sleeping and the air was cold, it happens sometimes." She stumbled as door was wrenched open.

"I know you couldn't have trained him to do that, you both are forgiven. But I am never removing one of those things from the cub again, understand." He said irritated as he stared down at her.

"Un-understood." She stammered as she looked up and down Vegeta, still wet from the shower, clad in his towel.

A smirk decorated his face as the sudden, must stronger; musk of her lust assaulted him. "come in." He said unable to keep the warm huskiness out of his tone.

"I-I shouldn't" She replied meekly, entranced by a drop of water slowly making its way through the small hairs on his chest.

"I think you should, we should . . . talk" He breathed into her ear as he positioned himself behind her, herding her into the room.

Dazed she sat on his bed; hand in her lap, almost prim. On the outside she may have looked the proper lady. But on the inside her thoughts were focused on that little drop, and what it must taste like.

"I don't think you fully understand what it is to be my _Mate._" He said to her.

The word 'mate', and the fear associated with it, quickly snapped her out of her stupor. "That's because I'm not you _anything!_" she retaliated.

He rolled his eyes as he shifted the towel lower down one hip, squaring off his legs, and flexing his shoulders slightly. He watched as the dazed look of lust returned to her eyes. He had played this game before, many times. After all he was the one who recruited Zarbon, who was immensely pissed when he discovered Vegeta was straight and had played him. Somehow, he thought, toying with Bulma would be much more _satisfying. _

"There are many benefits to being my mate, woman. If you would just admit it, we could start enjoying ourselves." He said as he casually walked by her towards his dresser running his free hand through his hair, stretching back slightly to casually stretch his abs as they passed before her eyes.

Suddenly she recognized the motion, and was enraged. He was _playing _her. _Like hell! Since when do guys know how to flirt? Not happening Buddy!_ She thought in retaliation.

He pulled out the shorts and stood, letting the towel fall slowly to the floor. Certain of his victory he turned to see her drooling face. Instead he was shocked to see his bedroom door slamming behind him.

_She REJECTED me!_ He thought furiously. _thats it_, n_o more 'Mr. Nice Prince!' _

* * *

><p>ok i know that last line was a little (alot) OCC but its still halarious<p> 


	30. the quest begins

Quick enough for you samurai-shiv? Sorry it's so drawn out with the seduction . . . no wait I'm not. These two are stubborn as hell and neither is willing to 'loose' this game. plus now ive found a new and wonderful way to draw this out and tease the hell out of everyone!

* * *

><p>Despite staying up rather late watching TV with the guys, Bulma had gotten no sleep. She slapped her alarm clock extra hard and banished the images of sweet drops of water over flexed tan muscles from her mind. After throwing on her cargo kakis and an olive green tank, she pulled back her hair. She looked ready for an adventure.<p>

Trouble found her early as she made her way through the living room, to the kitchen for coffee. She glanced down at the sofa, and nearly laughed at the sight. Goku had stayed up watching movies, long after Bulma left for bed. And it seemed Vegeta was determined to keep an eye on him. She peered over the back of the sofa to find the two Sayains curled on the couch, Goku sprawled and snoring along the back and arm of the sofa. Vegeta was stretched out on the other end, legs on top of the other man, his foot in Gokus face.

Stifling her laughter, Bulma grabbed her cell phone from the counter and took a picture of the scene, sending it to Chichi with the message '_they even fight each other in their sleep!', _and turned to the kitchen to start breakfast. She was flipping the bacon when Chichi called to share a laugh at the boys expense.

Goku woke to the delicious smell of bacon, stomach rumbling as he looked quizzically at the foot sitting on his chest. He poked it, eyes blurry from sleep.

Vegeta grumbled at the sound of Goku's stomach rumbling, shifting slightly in his sleep. All the time in the GR yesterday exhausted him, and keeping an eye on Kakkarot kept him up much later than expected. He woke suddenly from his sleep, to the sensation of someone _tickling his foot,_ reflexively he kicked out striking the other man in the face.

"Ughh!" Goku shouted, holding his now bleeding nose. "What the hell was that for?"

"What are you doing sleeping on me, Kakkarot?" Vegeta asked grumpily.

"_You're_ sleeping on _me_, and your foot was in my face." Goku added factually.

"BREAKFASTS READY!" Bulma shouted from the other room. Goku leapt up in response, tossing Vegeta off of him and leaving him grumbling on the floor.

Vegeta was contemplating the best types of torture for the younger man as he entered the kitchen and fixed his coffee. His mood improved immensely when he realized his mate had already done it for him. He listened closely to the shrill voice on the other end of the phone.

"Chichi wants to talk to you," Bulma said as she handed the phone over to her best friend, turning back to the three waffle makers currently in use.

"So you slept with Vegeta? Should I be jealous?" Chichi asked, smile clear in her tone of voice.

"Oh Kami! You told her?" Goku asked Bulma.

"Told her? Pft I sent her a picture! And the next time you guys get on my bad side that pictures going on a billboard!" she said giddily as she tossed the fresh batch of waffles onto their plates.

* * *

><p>After a lengthy goodbye to Trunks, in which Bunny and Vegeta had to literally pry Bulma away from the child, they headed off. She knew she was being ridiculous, missing her son already, but he had been a part of her for so long.<p>

In the front yard Bulma turned on the Dragon Ball radar, and pointed in the direction of the nearest ball, the 3 star ball. Without much ado she walked over to Goku and he knelt to help her climb on his back, they determined years ago that this was the quickest, most agile way for them to travel.

As she placed her hand on his shoulder, her friend was knocked aside, and her hand taken by Vegeta as he swung her on his own back instead. Before she had a chance to yelp, he growled at Goku, and took off in the direction she indicated. If it wasn't for the wind making her eyes water, she would have rolled them, even as she enjoyed the flex of muscle beneath her thighs. Instead she ducked her head into his shoulder, attempting to avoid eating his hair.

Goku caught up to them in seconds, and said to Vegeta "You have to slow down; it's hard for her to travel so fast."

With a grunt Vegeta decreased his speed by half, and the wind died down enough for her to hear them speak over the dull roar.

"More to the left, head for that mountain." She ordered, unsteady as she removed one arm to point at the direction indicated.

Vegeta slowed as they banked into the turn, shifting her weight slightly for a better balance. The scent of her desire caught up to him through the turn, and a smile crept onto his lips. _Smell that Kakkarot? _He thought. _She's my mate! And it's me she wants!_ The thought of taking her there crossed his mind, and his own lust piqued in response to hers.

She smiled as she watched the blip labeled 3 near the center of the radar screen, and then groaned as she looked over Vegeta shoulder to see the deep blue serine lake waiting for them below.

"What's wrong?" he grumbled in response.

"It's freaking cold out no way and hell am I swimming around that lake looking for the dragon ball." She griped.

"I got it." He said as he touched down, placing her gently next to the lake. He stripped his clothes off quickly, dreading the cold water, and leapt in.

"I guess I should go help." Goku shrugged as he did the same.

After 5 full minutes of boredom Bulma figured they would be swimming in there for a while, and decided to get started on lunch. Selecting a capsule she dropped it open to reveal a fully stocked cooler, laying out the necessary tools she started assembling the sandwiches.

Every few minutes she would look up to see one of the guys surface for air, just to dive back bellow in search of the ball. After making up the cooler full of sandwiches, she leaned back sipping her can of ice tea, and enjoyed the sun against her skin.

"Got it!" Vegeta shouted as he surfaced, tossing the ball up to where she had set up lunch. She watched as he walked slowly out of the water, sun glistening off the droplets hanging from his hair.

Seeing desire plain on her face, Vegeta slowed his movements, and casually wiped a hand down his chest and abdomen as he walked down the water. Her lips parted in response as she watched his hand trail down his thigh. He could smell her lust from here, so strong it was. The thought of taking her here, on the shore of this lake, of trailing his tongue along her sun kissed skin, made his dick throb. Just as he stepped out of the lake, he heard a splashing behind him and groaned.

"Any luck?" Goku shouted to his friends.

Shaking herself from the thought of Vegeta ravaging her on the sand, Bulma replied. "Ya we got it, lunch is ready!"

"Great!" Goku bellowed as he trampled out of the water, leaving large splashes in his wake.

With agitation Vegeta turned to the other Sayian only to see his cock flopping as he leapt through the water. With rage he thundered "Kakkarot! Your nude!"

Goku intented to say 'so are you' but was shocked as he turned to see his comrade slightly erect, instead what came out his mouth was an awkward. "Vegeta your HARD!"

Bulma nearly choked on her laughter as she threw the discarded clothes and towels at them both. "Do you have a fish fetish we don't know about?" she chuckled giving Vegeta sly grin, she knew what really got him all hot and bothered, and she had been thinking the same thing.

* * *

><p>oh the antics that ensue! please place any requests or recomendations in the reviews. I'm always open to new and wonderful ways to tourture these two<p> 


	31. is this love

The sun was setting as they descended on the little mountain village. Glancing at the radar, it seemed clear to Bulma that the 5 star ball was located in one of the huts bellow.

"Head over to that clearing, well set up camp there and go get the ball tomorrow morning." Bulma spoke into Vegeta's ear as she rested her head along his neck. The warmth of his Ki and the soothing smell of his hair lulled her into a comfort she hadn't felt in months.

"Hn" Was his only reply as he shifted her weight into the turn, indicating the change in direction to the Sayian which followed them.

Stiffly, she climbed down from his back, resisting the urge to massage the sore muscles of her inner thighs. She withdrew the capsule case from her belt and selected the large capsule which contained the small cabin.

Without a second glance to the men behind her, Bulma entered the little house and surveyed the interior. Small though it was, the capsule house was comfortable, one spacious room with a cot along the side, and a soft sofa against the wall. Bulma headed right to the sofa and stretched out, breathing in the comfort of their 'home' for the night.

"I guess I should get started on dinner." She said to Goku, who nodded his agreement eagerly. Vegeta was still wondering around the small cabin inspecting the mundane contents. "How about you boys go hunt up something for me, and I'll get cleaned up."

"I thought you packed everything we need?" Goku asked.

"I did, but I remember how much you loved fresh meat for dinner on our little trips, go hunt up something for us will ya?" Bulma said, casually hiding the fact that she only packed enough to feed one Sayian, not two. Goku turned to the entrance to the cabin, and headed out to find a nice lake nearby.

"Finally that fool has left." Vegeta said warmly as he neared his mate, sniffing her spiking lust. He ran his hands down her back and whispered. "Let's put that bed over there to good use."

"Actually I'm getting in the shower." Bulma said, moving from his embrace and ignoring her desire to run her lips along his skin. "You should go give him a hand, if you want there to be enough fish for dinner."

"Or I can find something else to eat," He said alluringly as he ran his hands down her thighs, trailing after her to the bathroom. "Quit pretending woman, I can smell how much you desire me."

"It's just lust, not love." She whispered sadly. "I'm done chasing after some relationship, Trunks deserves better than that. I won't have him grow up never knowing which man is 'daddy', seeing men come and go in his life. If it's not the real deal, forever, than it's just not good enough for him, or me."

"Your being ridiculous woman, I am the boy's father, I am your mate, nothing will change that. What more do you want from me?" He asked in frustration.

"LOVE!" she shouted in return as she slammed the bathroom door, locking him away from her. The lock was unnecessary however, because Vegeta chose that time to storm out himself.

He was still grumbling about foolish romantic notions when he landed next to the lake Kakkarot had chosen, striping his clothing he entered into the cool water.

Goku broke the surface when he felt Vegeta near and shouted to the other man "Hey, there's a big one here, but he's wilily." He dropped his cheerful disposition, however, when he saw the dark look on the other man's face. "Whats up?" He asked.

"None of your fucking business you insolent third-class!" Vegeta said as he trampled into the water.

"Trouble with Bulma then, what did you say?" Goku continued knowingly.

"Fuck you, mind your own mate and keep your eyes off of mine." Vegeta growled.

"Listen," Goku said during his odd moment of earnest solemnity "Bulma is my best friend; I want her to be happy. If you think you're up to the job then I'll help you win her over, but if you break her heart this little rivalry we have is going to get a lot less 'friendly' real fast. Understood?"

Vegeta was taken aback by Goku's protective words, half in shock he replied "Hn", as he sat on the rock next to the other man.

"Human do things a little differently, we uh they, um. You'll never get her to accept you as a 'Mate' unless you do things in a way she understands, the human way. She won't see you as her mate until you are her husband, and that required a lot more work than knocking her up." Goku said.

"Then we'll do that ridiculous ceremony, if that was the only problem then she could have saved us both the trouble and told me." Vegeta grumbled.

"If you asked her to marry you right now, she'd turn you down." Goku said, turning to face his shocked prince.

"Turn me down, what the hell? I am a Prince of an elite race that puts her frail kind to shame. She has born my offspring! How the hell could she turn me down?" Vegeta shouted in rebuttal.

"Because she doesn't love you . . . Yet." Goku said.

"What the hell is this ridiculous LOVE everyone's going on about, it's in all your foolish songs, a whole grouping of movies and books about it. All I can tell is its sentimental crap devised by a bunch of weaklings to explain choosing a mate. It is fictional, but every work of fiction I come across mentions it." Vegeta raved.

"It's not fictional, and you have to make her feel it for you before she'll accept you as her mate or husband." Goku retorted. "She was beginning to feel it for you before you left, Chichi was ranting about it a lot."

"What?" Vegeta asked, shocked, _she was beginning to love me?_ He considered.

"Yha, Chichi told me about it, girls can tell these things. And when you left I saw how much it hurt her first hand. She thought you were gone for good. I was so pissed at you, you broke her heart."

"How do I un-break it?" Vegeta asked, ashamed at his weakness for the woman.

"You can't, and making her love you again is going to be a lot harder, believe me I know." Goku muttered thinking about how much work it took to win Chichi back over after he returned home. "You have to make her remember how things were." He said considering.

They sat in silence, pondering the predicament for moments. Until Vegeta saw the water break, reaching out he grabbed hold of the large fish tail and swung it to shore.

"Well I do know one bit of advice, don't pressure her for sex. Make her wait till she wants you." Goku said.

"She already wants me you idiot, did these fools remove your nose too?" Vegeta muttered scathingly.

"I don't mean physically, I mean emotionally." Goku replied, earning him a confused look from the other Sayian. "Just wait for her to initiate the physical stuff that's all."

With that said, and the fish caught, the two made their way back to the cabin. As Goku started the fire in front of the house to cook the fish, Vegeta went in to get Bulma.

He saw her there, on the cot, curled up in peaceful sleep. Already in her warm flannel pajamas and fast asleep, he watched her for a moment. He bent to brush the hair from her cheek and then gently rested his lips in its place. Smelling her warm floral scent he felt a comforting rush come over him, it felt vaguely, like home.

They finished their fish in silence, leaving Bulma to her sleep. Then cleared up and went back into the cabin. Without saying a word Goku grabbed the blanket and made his bed on the couch.

Vegeta crawled gently on the little cot, being careful not to wake his sleeping mate. He lay down next to her, arm wrapping under her pillow. Unconsciously she snuggled next to him, as he placed his arm across her body, resting against her hip. He fell asleep with his head buried in her hair, surrounded by her scent.


	32. rough start

She woke to the loud rata-ta-ta of a wood pecker, clearly getting an early start on destroying the steal roof of one of the houses in the nearby village. Growling quietly, she reached for her pillow to wrap it around her head and hopefully get back to sleep. Only the stubborn pillow wouldn't move, grunting Bulma wiggled around pulling on the thing still half a sleep.

"Ugh, turn off that noise woman!" Vegeta grunted rolling onto his back.

"EEEEPPPP!" Bulma shouted as she realized, it's not a pillow, it's an ARM. She pulled away from the intruder in her bed only to fall ass first on the floor.

"What- What happened?" Goku asked in shock as he jumped up from the couch at the sound of her scream and the following crash. The sheet dropped from his body.

"Dear Gods Kakkarot, do you ever wear clothing?" Vegeta asked, glaring at Goku's nude form. _This is no way to wake up._

Bulma tipped her head back to look at the man behind her and shouted "EEEP! Oh God you two, quit scaring me!" She shouted as she tossed Goku a pillow to cover himself. She was starting to wake up, and she certainly wasn't happy about that fact.

"You, wear clothes! I have seen more than enough of your penis lately!" She shouted pointing at Goku but being careful not to look at his dangling bits. "And _you_"she said glaring at Vegeta. "What the hell were you doing in my bed?"

"Sleeping, obviously, and you claim to be a genius." Vegeta muttered scathingly. "Turn off that wretched noise already."

"I can't, it's a bird! And what made you think you had the right to climb into my bed without my permission, you arrogant prick?" She retorted.

"I am your mate for starters, secondly where else did you think I was going to sleep? I'm never sharing a couch with that smelly low-class again." Vegeta replied.

Goku sniffed his pits, and retracted his head in horror, heading straight for the shower. He hated to admit it, but Vegeta had him on that one.

"I am not your MATE, I am not your ANYTHING, and you have no right to climb into a sleeping woman's bed!" She shouted.

"You ARE MY - ugh." Vegeta began to reply until he was silenced by Goku waving franticly, he recalled their conversation. _Fine, she doesn't think she's my mate, fine she doesn't deserve someone as high ranking as myself anyway. _

"Fine, Fuck you! And whatever the hell you rode in on!" He shouted scathingly.

He was shocked to see her smirk, and then she seemed to cough. Then Bulma out right laughed. It took her a few breaths before she could get out.

"I rode in on YOU!" She cried out through laughs holding her ribs. She headed to the kitchen to make coffee, while Vegeta dressed.

She was pouring her first cup, and considering what to cook for breakfast, when Vegeta stormed out of the Cabin. _Good fucking riddance. _ She thought to herself as she cracked open the capsule labeled 'breakfasts' and found the 6 boxes of frozen waffles. _Theres no way this will be enough, oh well. _She thought as she popped the first four in a toaster.

Goku was out of the shower, and getting dressed in the main room, when Vegeta returned.

Vegeta walked into the cabin, to once again, see Goku's penis waving bare to the room.

"Put on some fucking clothes. If I see your dick again I'm removing it." Vegeta said menacingly. Goku yanked on his Gi pants quickly, blushing slightly.

"Here woman, cook this." Vegeta ordered as he slapped the dead woodpecker onto the table, and turned to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"What the hell is this? Eww I'm not touching that." Bulma said.

"It's the Gods damned animal that woke me up, learn from its lesson." He said glaring at her. Goku rolled his eyes silently as he grabbed a waffle from the toaster and bit into it, dunking it in syrup.

"I'm not touching it Vegeta, get over it." She replied calmly at his expecting look.

Then he smirked, _ok don't cook it then,_ he thought as he said. "Fine, I prefer it this way."

That earned him a confused glare, he maintained the eye contact as he slit the bird with a small blast of ki. He threw the innards far from the cabin, somewhere up in the trees, and returned to the table. He then glared at her as he ripped the meat with his hands and bit into the bleeding fresh goodness.

Bulma turned green and leapt to the bathroom as Vegeta shouted after her "Problem, Mate of mine? Guess you should have cooked it if you had a problem with eating it fresh."

Goku leaned over the table, and said. "This is no way to win her over, fuck this, I'm done helping you."

Grabbing another waffle for the road he faced the bathroom and said. "You guys can handle the dragon balls, I'm heading home."

"What wait you can't leave me with _him._" she said brushing her teeth yet again.

"You guys have some stuff to work out." Goku said. "I'm headed home; if things really do go belly up this time around I want to spend time with Chichi right now, just in case."

"But, I – He is" She muttered as she watched Goku fly off.

"Problem?" Vegeta asked smugly, trying his best to hide the guilt already growing in his gut. Making her feel disgusted by him really was childish and counterproductive.

"You're cleaning that shit up." She said indicating to the left over bird, and blood on the table. She tossed him the paper towels and began packing up the cabin for their departure.


	33. cooporation

"Stay here, I'm going down to the village to get the dragon ball." Bulma said as she tied her hair up, preparing for the short hike to the valley.

"Like hell, for starters I don't take orders from you, you take orders from me. Secondly I will not risk leaving you to wonder the area unattended. You will, undoubtedly, find some obscure way to get yourself killed." Vegeta said, already waiting by the door to escort her.

"I've gotten by just fine before you, and I'll survive just fine without any of your help. You forget I was on my own most of the time on Namek, I know how to handle myself." She added smugly.

"Namek was a hospitable rock in bum-fuck Egyous populated by boring, peaceful, walking, talking house plants. And even then you managed to nearly die from an indigenous animal attack; I believe it was a _toad_ that nearly killed you. To say the least I don't fully trust your ability to put one foot in front of the other without falling to your death." He replied snidely.

"It was a _possessed toad!_ And if you're coming fine, but keep your mouth shut and let me do the talking. People don't take well to death threats on this planet." She said, as they encapsulated the gear and headed down the mountainside.

"People don't take well to death threats period, it's what makes them so effective." He added.

* * *

><p>It was midafternoon by the time they arrived in the village. Bulma refused to fly, in case it made the natives uncomfortable. Vegeta could care less about their comfort but as they descended the canopy above them grew thicker, which could conceal a threat bellow. So he begrudgingly agreed to the arduous walk in the sticky heavy humidity.<p>

He didn't mind the heat so much, it reminded him vaguely of Vegeta-sie, it was her _complaining_ about the heat that irritated him to no end. For the fifth time they stopped for her too cool off with some water, he could smell the village from here and was eager to have the business done with.

"Ugh, woman, what is the problem now? Is there another _rock in your shoe?_" he asked, ruthlessly mocking her for weak cause of their last stop.

"No, it's fucking hot. And I can't with how heavy this air is." She said striping off her over shirt and saturating it with water from her canteen.

"Hop on my back then." He said kneeling low for her to climb on. "I won't fly, but walking at your feeble pace is ridiculous, and I'm sick of hearing you complain about the blist's."

"They're blisters. And fine, just put me down when we get close though, we have to at least look as normal as possible or well scare them out of cooperating with us." She said as she climbed his back.

The hot muggy air, the soothing rocking of his steps, and most of all the familiar scent of his hair, lulled her to sleep.

* * *

><p>"Woman, wake up." Vegeta said, gently jostling her on his back. "We're outside the village."<p>

"Huh!" She said in shock, nearly falling from her pearch. "Oh, um ok."

The walked the remaining 10 yards or so in silence before she added. "Remember let me do all the talking." He nodded, and then they emerged from the brush.

The children playing nearby caught sight of them first, eyes wide in shock, possibly fear. They scurried off quickly for cover shouting. In a matter of seconds five older men approached the pair, holding guns. Each man looked weak, half starved, missing eyes and fingers, one even limped on a wooden prosthetic leg.

Vegeta quickly stepped in front of Bulma at the sight of the guns. She grasped on to his arms whispering "Please, they aren't going to hurt us, please don't attack them."

"They can't hurt me with those toys, but I'll be damned if they'll get a good shot at you with them." He said protectively. "I won't attack them unless they make a move to harm you."

Bulma felt a warm rush come over her at his protective claims. Blushing slightly behind his shoulder, she fumbled with the ear piece of her device.

"Please, we won't hurt you, we are seeking help." She said clearly into the machine. Causing Vegeta to look over his shoulder questioningly, _who the hell she was talking to_, he wondered. She pressed a button, and instantly the same phrase came out of the speakers in a different language.

The villagers perked up at the sound of their native tongue and one stepped forward lowered his gun and replied. She pressed another button and out of the ear peace came a clear reply. "We must be sure you carry no weapons, we will have to search you."

"Of course." She replied pressing the button once more. She then turned to Vegeta. "Place your hands on your head and do not move, they will come over and pat through our clothing to make sure we don't have any guns and such." She stepped forward next to him and placed her own hands on her head, awaiting the search.

Vegeta begrudgingly allowed them to pat around his body, he did not see the purpose behind it, but trusted Bulma when it came to bizarre customs. It was when the man started touching his mate that he let out of possessive growl.

"Vegeta please, he's just doing the same to me that he did to you." She said placating.

"What is it that you seek?" The oldest man, with the missing leg asked.

"A dragon ball, it looks like this." She replied pulling out the three star ball from her satchel.

"We have it, but we cannot give it to you." He said clearly. "Come with me." They followed him into the largest hut, where he nodded at an older woman, who turned to prepare what looked to be tea. The hut was small and dark, with two holes for doors. The ceiling so low Vegetas hair brushed the top of it, leaving a clearer shine of metal behind as it brushed through the soot.

They sat on the cushions on the floor ask the old man spoke. "Legend has it that this ball will grant a great wish in times of need, we have never needed its aid more than we do now. It is for this reason that I simply cannot part with it. When the time is right the ball will assist us in vanquishing the evil which plagues us."

Vegeta eyed up the ball, sitting on a cushion in the corner of the hut. He could grab it, and Bulma, and have them both out of there before the man even knew what was happening. Hell he could just blast them all and save them the trouble. _Stupid woman and her stupid rules_.

"What evil are you dealing with?" She asked, pressing the button to translate her reply.

"A drug lord uses our most fertile land for poppies; our children are taken to make the heroin. The woman are captured and forced to serve them, the young men join the side of evil in hopes to stay alive. The ball will help us to defeat them, when we need it most." A haunted look settled across the man's face as he spoke of the horrors that have become life.

"If we helped you to defeat them, will you give us the ball?" she asked plainly.

Vegeta turned and spoke. "Are you serious? This will delay us all the more. We should take the ball, blast the village, and save us time and them misery."

"_Vegeta! _I can't believe you, these people need our help, and all you can think is just kill them and save these assholes the trouble. Besides I thought you wanted a good fight, this sounds like a hell of a mission, and it's all yours." She said to him.

Bewildered by their side conversation the Chief added. "If you kill the men who enslave us, and free the woman and children, I will give you the ball."

"See, sounds like fun." She said turning to Vegeta with a mischievous grin.


	34. being nice

He may have been reluctant to help the small village, but Vegeta's mind leapt at the opportunity to plan a tactical assault on the encampment. These few years of peace had left him feeling redundant, and after Cooler was out of the picture he was sorely short on enemies.

"Tell them I need a detailed map of the encampment and surrounding area, as well as information on how many civilians are there, and where they are located." Vegeta said to her. She repeated the message and translated it with the press of a button.

The man hobbled out of the hovel to gather the necessary Intel, as his wife set up a plate with tea and what looked to be rice cakes. When Vegeta reached out for one of the cakes Bulma nudged him to get his attention.

Quietly she whispered to him. "They are starving in this village; let them keep what little food they have for themselves. When we are done I'll cook you a larger meal with our supplies."

Vegeta wanted to object, he was doing them a service after all. But the warm brush of her breath against his neck caused a different hunger to rise, and he retracted his hand with little thought.

He turned his head, their faces so close. Bulma was taken off guard by the heated look in his eyes, as he gently grasped her chin, and brought her in for a soft but passionate kiss. He took pleasure in the surprised look on her face as he pulled back, and returned his attention to his tea.

_It's clear he's only behaving himself for me, but why? _She thought as she gazed pensively in her little clay cup. A smaller voice in her head let slip. _Why do I matter? _

She was surprised by her clear insecurity, but had little time to think it over. The elder entered the hovel accompanied by two other older men. _This little hut is becoming crowded._ Vegeta thought as he inched his way to the back door, positioning himself for a quick escape if necessary.

He glanced at the paper, rolled in one of the man's hands, and grabbed it with little thought. Bulma was appalled by his behavior and said to him. "It wouldn't kill you to show some manners."

"Why risk it." He replied snarky, causing her to smirk almost against her will. _Yup he's still the asshole we know and love. _She thought.

He looked over the paper for a full twenty minutes, occasionally asking questions which she translated for him. After an additional 5 minutes of silence, he handed the men back the rough drawing.

"You will set up the capsule house in the clearing we were in before we entered the village, and begin preparing that meal you promised me. This will only take an hour or so." He said to her as he strode out the back door.

"Wait what? I'm going with you!" She shouted after him, with no regard to the villagers questioning stares as they left the village without a word to them.

"You will follow my orders, remain here." He said as he took off through the canopy.

* * *

><p>She set up the capsule house in their arranged meeting place, and began slamming around pans. <em>Arrogant asshole! I am not some servant he can boss around. 'Follow my orders', who the hell does he think he's talking to. <em>She stared at the opened food capsule on the floor, unsure of what to make.

_It would serve him right if I burned it black, or didn't cook anything at all. _She thought, as she flopped onto the sofa with a huff. Then she reconsidered. _The only reason he's doing all this is for me, and I'm sure he's going to be hungry when he gets back. _

One particular memory of him demanding food came flooding back. "_You will make something for me to eat or I may very well eat you instead." _She smiled fondly, what was once a death threat now seemed an exciting possibility. Her mind wondered unbridled to the thought of such a passionate touch. _Uh! Ok, get your head out of the gutter girl. _She thought shaking herself as she grabbed the ground beef from the cooler.

_A couple homemade lasagnas should do the trick. _She considered, now planning his reward instead of a punishment. The preparations went quick, distracting her from her thoughts. After placing the two pans in the oven, she was left with nothing else to do.

She decided to settle into a good book. Grabbing one of her new trashy romance novels, she curled up under a blanket on the couch, grateful for the cool blast of the AC.

She was just about finished the first of what promised to be many raunchy sex scenes, when the front door was knocked open. Her eyes hazed over as she beheld her own blood covered savage warrior come to ravage her. The thought shocked her into laughter.

Vegeta flew home with thoughts of a good meal and a hot shower occupying his mind. Those thoughts quickly disappeared when her lustful scent assaulted him. He gave an appreciative glare to her fabulously bare legs, stretched across the couch, when suddenly she began laughing outright.

_I'm storming in, hungry horny and covered in blood, and she LAUGHS. What the hell is wrong with this woman? _He thought as he began breathing through his mouth to avoid her delicious scent. _And what was she doing to put herself into such a heat; if I find a man in here I'm going to kill him. . Then eat him. _He thought as his stomach rumbled.

He made his way to the bathroom to shower, but came to halt at the table. It was clear, not a bit of food in sight.

"Woman," He growled even as he chanted in his head. _I will not kill my mate, I will not kill my mate. _

"Chill, it's in the oven. Go get a shower and then you can tell me how it went." She replied as she walked up towards the kitchen, it was about time for them to come out any way.

All thoughts of killing her subsided as he got a stronger whiff of her desire filled musk. His eyes widened as he forced himself to the bathroom, bolting the door behind him. _I really need a shower, a really really cold shower. _He thought.


	35. life and death, and love

They made an early night of it, in preparation for the day of traveling ahead. Much to Vegeta's dismay, Bulma determinately slept on the couch. They woke early, and flew until sundown.

Bulma could just make out the shore over his shoulder, Africa. Even she had never been to this region before. Judging by the Radar, and landscape, they were somewhere near the Congo.

Vegeta relished this new climate so much like his own planet, except for the ridiculous green color of the trees. He could almost in vision them a healthy yellow orange instead, and the oppressive humidity welcomed him in its warm embrace.

He bent and drank greedily from the stream, bathing his face and arms in the water. Bulma twisted the cap off her water bottle and splashed a little on herself as well. It was then the he felt it, that heated feeling of eyes watching him. He heard the rustle of the bushes behind him, and leapt to his feet.

He felt the man before he saw him, but even then he had a hold on the woman long before he could react. "Don't hurt them Vegeta!" she yelled out, even as the man dragged her to the sodden ground.

_Ridiculous woman, doesn't she see she is in danger. _He thought, even as he stayed his hand at her request. He instead assessed his enemy, an incredibly tall man, nearly seven foot. His skin so dark it had violet tones, and hid him well in the shadow of the brush.

Vegeta watched as another dozen of such men rose from the brush, dressed in dark green and carrying large guns. He knew the guns could do little damage to him, but to his mate such a blast would be deadly. So he cooperated as they shouted at him, waving and pointing the guns menacingly. He allowed them to hand cuff him, and tote both him and his woman down the small game path. _Once they drop their guard I'll kill them all._ He thought to himself.

It was well dark when they found themselves in the decrepit city. Being shoved along, poked in the back by the mussel of the M16's. Bulma prayed every second that Vegetas patience wouldn't wear out. She hoped he understood that, while he could easily take out all the men, it would only take one well-placed shot to end her life.

She had been in similar situations before, and held strong to every ounce of composure she could find, even as the men leered at her suggestively. The men took them both into a concrete building which appeared to be collapsing around them, not unlike all the others in the city. Bare light bulbs hung from the ceiling casting a stark and menacing glow on the hordes of people crammed into the building.

They did not stop here though; instead they took them to a smaller room in the back of the building, where a slightly more plump menacing middle aged man sat, in a leather recliner, surrounded by soldiers as if he were a king on a throne. Every subject near him was armed to the teeth.

The man behind her pulled her hair as he struck the back of her knees, forcing her to kneel on the floor with a yelp. They attempted to do the same to Vegeta, but he remained standing. He did not react to the action; instead he smirked devilishly to the man sitting before him.

_Weak little ki-less human thinks he's a king, it's almost laughable. _Vegeta thought to himself. The man across from him glared at him before turning his eyes of Bulma. He leaned forward, taking her face in his hands and caressed her. He was sliding his hand down her throat when he heard Vegetas growl, shocking him to a stop.

"Shes mine." Vegeta stated possessively.

"Hmm, how about we play a little game then, if I win, then I keep her for myself." The man said haughtily. Bulma's eyes widened in shock that the man spoke perfect English.

"And if I win?" Vegeta replied.

"You live." The dark man said.

"I will be doing that regardless." Vegeta said to the man, confidant.

"I like that paperweight, over on the table. Let's play for that." Bulma said nodding to the dragon ball perched on the desk in the corner.

"Hump, you let your woman speak for you?" the man said disapprovingly.

"Let the woman have her trinket, when I win."

"If you win."

"What is the game?" Bulma asked.

The man did not as much as glance at her, instead he sized up Vegeta as he said. "Russian roulette."

"Let me give him a hug, please, for luck?" She asked pleadingly. The older man nodded as one of the soldiers unlocked their handcuffs.

She leapt into his arms, playing the part of the grieving woman as she whispered to him. "There's one bullet in the gun which has 6 slots, you spin the large middle part place it to your head and pull the trigger. The game continues until one of the players is killed by the bullet, please don't do this Vegeta." She said pleadingly.

He kissed her ear softly as he whispered, "You forget woman, those silly rocks can't harm me." as he pulled her away from him, and took his seat at the table.

Logically she knew this; she had seen bullets bounce off of Goku countless times. But that didn't make the prospects of losing Vegeta any less frightening. She knew he put his life at risk countless times, many of which to defend her, but somehow watching this was terrifying.

The thought of him dead filled her eyes with tears. Images of him flashed before her eyes as he spun the barrel; Him sulking under a tree, smirk growing on his face as their eyes met, the confusion on his face when she introduced him to new bizarre customs. She heard the click as he pulled the trigger on the empty chamber.

She let loose the breath she was unconsciously holding, and the tears fell from her eyes. She watched as the warlord across the table repeated the process, praying for a blast. But no, she heard the click and the rasp of the gun as it slid across the table.

Her heart pounded in the throat as she thought of him holding her; carrying her the day she fainted from her diet, holding her as she cried at Yamcha's deceit. Every soft comforting caress ran through her mind as he spun the barrel. And click, no blast, relief flooded through her.

She couldn't bear the thought of losing him; she had to find a way to put a stop to this insanity. Spin, click, and rasp. The gun was back in her lovers hands.

Panic struck her, but was chased away as the images resumed. This time it was of him holding Trunks for the first time, the way he insisted she care for him the best way he thought possible the second he found that he was a father. It was in the way he stared at their child in his arms, with awe and love.

It struck her then, he may never say it. But it was clear on his face, and in her memory. In every moment he defended and protected them, every time he said the word 'mate' to her. It was there, love. A chill ran through her as the tears streamed down her face. _He does love me._ She realized, as she heard the BANG.

(should totaly leave it here just to piss you all off haha)

* * *

><p>Shock flooded through her as she saw Vegetas head rocked to the side from the force of the blast. Then she filled with relief as he righted himself, she had forgotten, it couldn't hurt him.<p>

He pealed the flattened disk of lead from the side of his head, nearly wincing. At point blank range it did hurt a bit to be shot. He smirked as he rose, leaning over the table and slid the gun back.

"You might want to reload it for the next round." He said casually smirking, reveling in their horror.

"What-What are you? Are you a God?" The warlord asked as he stumbled back for the door.

"YES!" Vegeta hissed as, sending the men stumbling over themselves as they fled the room. He laughed hysterically as he retrieved the dragon ball from the desk.

Bulma was still trying to recover from her fear, and the shock of discovering his love. She began laughing at the sight before her, even as the tears still left tracks down her face.

"What's wrong now woman?" he said softly. "I didn't harm them." He muttered as he dried her face.

"Yha, thank you, it's not that." She said with a shaky voice. He raised an eye brow as if to ask what could be upsetting her.

"I just realized I'm going to need another capsule to lug around your humungous ego."


End file.
